Freddie Steinmark (January 27, 1949 – June 6, 1971) was an American
college football player, whose diagnosis of
bone cancer and subsequent leg amputation during his junior year with the
University of Texas Longhorns provided an inspiration for the team's
national championship that year.
[1] His life has since been the subject of a number of inspirational books and a movie.
Football career[edit]
Steinmark was a member of the
1969 Texas Longhorns football team, which won a
national championship.
Texas beat the
1969 Arkansas Razorbacks football team 15-14 in the "
Game of the Century" on December 6, 1969. Two days later, x-rays revealed a bone tumor just above his left knee. A biopsy confirmed the tumor was malignant
osteogenic sarcoma, and he was treated at the
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. On December 12, 1969, his leg was amputated at the hip.
[2]
Twenty days later, he stood on the sideline with his team as Texas defeated
Notre Dame in the
1970 Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year's Day. Steinmark's fight against cancer inspired the
United States Congress to write the National Cancer Act of 1971 and President
Richard Nixon to sign it into law, thus beginning the "
War on Cancer".
[3]
Autobiography[edit]
In 1971, with the help of
Dallas Times Herald sports editor
Blackie Sherrod, Steinmark wrote and published his autobiography
I Play to Win.[4] The book was published posthumously, almost 3 months after Steinmark's death. Steinmark is the subject of the 2015 movie
My All American, and a coinciding biography
Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football, published by the
University of Texas Press (September 1, 2015).
[1] Steinmark died on June 6, 1971, at the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was a
Roman Catholic.
[5]
Legacy[edit]
Steinmark was honored with the
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium's scoreboard on September 23, 1972. The current version of the Freddie Steinmark scoreboard, nicknamed Godzillatron, stands forty-seven-feet high.
[6]
On November 7, 2015, the University of Texas Longhorns rededicated the scoreboard to Steinmark in a ceremony attended by the Steinmark family and many previous Longhorn players.
[7] The Longhorns wore throwback uniforms similar to those worn by the 1969 squad for their game against the
Kansas Jayhawks, removing the "Texas" wordmark from the front of the jerseys, the TV numerals from the shoulder pads, and names from the back.
[8] The helmets featured the decal for college football's centennial, which was celebrated in 1969.
[8]
Freddie Joe Steinmark enters the Hall of Fame via several routes: as an outstanding athlete at Wheat Ridge High School and the University of Texas; as a courageous individual best expressed in the he book he authored…”I Play To Win”…; and as an inspiration that continues to influence the lives of many.
Steinmark died of cancer at 10:30 p.m., June 6th 1971; 48 days after doctors gave him only hours to live. He was 22 years old.
The dramatic turn in what appeared to be the development of All-America defensive back with the Texas Longhorns, came shockingly and stunningly swift. In the 10th game of Steinmark’s junior season, he was named the game’s outstanding defensive back as No. 1 Texas, defeated second-ranked Arkansas in a thriller, 15-14. It meant the national title to Texas.
Texas was in the midst of putting together a string of 31 straight wins and Steinmark played in 21 of these.
But Steinmark complained of a “mushy” aching in his left leg just above the knee for part of his junior year. He played the entire Razorback game and then submitted to x-rays for further examination. Surgery was ordered and Steinmark was told that if the leg were malignant it would come off immediately. Steinmark understood.
Freddie Joe did not require much psychological attention. He was his own best therapist. He soon set out on crutch as prosthesis on a series of appearances that would aid in the amassing of many dollars The American Cancer Society.
He was honored at the While House and by sportswriters and organizations all across the country.
“Most of all, we like to think that Freddie had something to do with President Nixon spearheading the largest appropriation ever for cancer research,” his father Fred Steinmark said.
Freddie Joe began playing football at the age of seven with the North Denver Rough Riders in the Young American League in Denver.
He lettered three years in football and baseball at Wheat Ridge High School and was named All-Metro and All-State in both sports.
At Texas, Steinmark was All-Southwest Conference his junior year and was honorable mention All-American.
Freddie Joe’s book is out of print now, but Texas high school football coaches still use copies to hand out players in their “must read” program.
Another honor for Freddie Joe Steinmark came when the new scoreboard at Memorial Stadium in Austin was dedicated by the University to their former student athlete. That would appeal to a ‘defensive back.’