American football player (1943–2010)
American football player
Steven Cyril DeLong (July 3, 1943 – August 18, 2010) was an American professional football defensive lineman who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was a first round draft selection in both the AFL and NFL drafts in 1965.[ 1] [ 2] He played collegiately for the University of Tennessee , and professionally for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears . In 1969 with San Diego, he set a team record with 17 sacks , a mark which stood until Gary Johnson had 17+ 1 ⁄2 in 1980 .[ 3] He was traded from the Chargers to the Bears on July 26, 1972, for a fourth-round selection in the 1973 NFL draft (84th overall–Jim Thaxton ).[ 4] [ 5]
DeLong was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the father of professional football player Keith DeLong , who also played for the University of Tennessee.
See also
References
^ "1965 AFL Draft Listing" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 16, 2024 .
^ "1965 NFL Draft Listing" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 16, 2024 .
^ Smith, Rick (1981). 1981 San Diego Chargers Facts Book . San Diego Chargers. p. 41.
^ "Triple-holdout has Vikings talking trade," The Associated Press (AP), Thursday, July 27, 1972. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
^ 1973 NFL Draft Pick Transactions, January 30 (Rounds 1–7) & 31 (Rounds 8–17) – Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved February 22, 2023.