Bob Steuber

Who was Bob Steuber?

Robert James "Bob" Steuber was an American football halfback who played four seasons in the National Football League and the All-America Football Conference. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Steuber was a standout on his high school football team. He attended the University of Missouri, where he quickly became one of the country's most productive runners and scoring threats. He was second in the country in 1942 with more than 1,000 yards of rushing. Steuber was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears and played briefly for the team before he joined the U.S. Navy and was transferred to Depauw University for training. Playing for Depauw's football team in 1943, he led the nation in scoring.

After the war, Steuber signed with the Cleveland Browns of the AAFC, a new league set to start play in 1946. He was limited by a knee injury that year, however, and was traded to the Los Angeles Dons after the Browns won the first AAFC championship game. Steuber only played in three games for the Dons due to another knee injury, and he was again traded to the Buffalo Bills. A broken back toward the end of the 1948 season ended his playing career for good. Steuber then settled in St. Louis, where he worked as a sports announcer on the weekends. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the University of Missouri's athletics hall of fame in 1990. His number 37 jersey is retired at Missouri.