Walter Steffen cemented his legacy on the gridiron as a versatile powerhouse for the Chicago Maroons before leading Carnegie Tech to historic victories from the sidelines.
Football Bio
October 9, 1886 – Walter Steffen, A halfback/quarterback from the University of Chicago.
The footballfoundation.org bio on Walter says he was one of head Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg’s favorite players with the University of Chicago Maroons.
Stagg loved the youngster’s shiftiness so much that, after his sophomore season, he moved Steffen to quarterback.
Walter Steffen was an All-American each of his 3 seasons with the Maroons, and he accounted for a whopping 156 points during his time with the team from 1906 through 1908.
After exhausting his eligibility, Walter joined Stagg’s coaching staff and attended graduate school, eventually earning his law degree.
He was soon thereafter named a judge in the Chicago court system.
He couldn’t get the gridiron out of his blood, though, as he soon took over the head coaching duties at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh in 1914 and held the position off and on through the 1932 season.
His final coaching record stood at a respectable 88-53-6, especially given the competition the team faced, including Notre Dame, USC, Yale, Army, Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech.
The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Walter Steffen into their museum in 1969. [National Football Foundation]
Steffen balanced an incredible dual career as a respected Chicago Superior Court judge and a formidable college football coach, proving his unmatched dedication to the sport.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Concurrently served as a Superior Court Judge in Chicago, commuting to direct Carnegie Tech on the weekends.
- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1969.
- Consensus First-Team All-American in 1908.
- Third-Team All-American in 1907.
- Two-time First-Team All-Western Conference (1906, 1907).
- Accounted for 156 points during his playing career with the Chicago Maroons.
- Served as head football coach for Carnegie Tech from 1914 to 1932, amassing a record of 88-53-6 (or 88-53-9 depending on the source).
- Orchestrated a famous 19-0 upset over the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1926.
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- Walter Eckersall: Chicago’s First Football Superstar
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