Steve Bartkowski
Steve Bartkowski (born November 12, 1952) is a former American football quarterback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons from 1975 to 1985, briefly with the Washington Redskins in 1985, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 1986.[1] Selected as the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley, he earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season after throwing for 1,662 yards and 13 touchdowns.[1][2] During his college career at Cal from 1972 to 1974, Bartkowski led the nation in passing yards with 2,580 in 1974, set a school record with four 300-yard games, and was named a Consensus All-American, first-team All-Pac-8, and the team's MVP that year.[3] In the NFL, he amassed 24,124 passing yards, 156 touchdowns, and a 55.9% completion rate over 129 games, while leading the league in passer rating (97.6) during the 1983 season.[1] Bartkowski was selected to the Pro Bowl twice (1980 and 1981), earned Second-Team All-NFC honors in 1980, and guided the Falcons to their first playoff victory in 1978 against the Philadelphia Eagles.[1][2] With Atlanta, he produced three seasons of over 3,000 passing yards, two seasons with 30-plus touchdowns, and 12 games exceeding 300 yards, contributing to over 50 wins as the starting quarterback.[2] Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor, Bartkowski remains one of the franchise's most iconic figures from its early expansion era.[3][2]Early life and education
Early life and high school
Steven Joseph Bartkowski was born on November 12, 1952, in Des Moines, Iowa.[1] His family relocated to Santa Clara, California, a middle-class suburb of San Jose, when he was around 10 years old, providing a new environment for his early athletic development.[4] Bartkowski attended Buchser High School (now defunct) in Santa Clara, where he emerged as a multi-sport standout.[1] He participated in football as a quarterback, basketball, and baseball, excelling across these disciplines and earning recognition as one of the top all-around athletes in the San Jose area.[5] In basketball, he occasionally scored over 50 points in games, while in baseball, his skills led to selection by the Kansas City Royals in the 33rd round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft.[6][7] On the football field, Bartkowski distinguished himself as a standout quarterback, earning All-San Jose Mercury News first-team honors during his senior year in 1971. These high school accomplishments highlighted his arm strength and leadership, laying the groundwork for his future in the sport. His versatility and local acclaim as Buchser's premier athlete underscored the supportive role of his family's relocation and the competitive Bay Area sports scene in shaping his early career.[4]College career
Bartkowski enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played quarterback for the California Golden Bears football team from 1972 to 1974.[8] As a freshman in 1972 and sophomore in 1973, he shared starting duties with teammate Vince Ferragamo, appearing in multiple games each season while the Bears compiled records of 4–7 and 6–5, respectively.[8] In his junior and senior years, Bartkowski balanced football with baseball, showcasing versatility as a two-sport athlete for the university.[9] Bartkowski's senior season in 1974 marked his breakout year, as he took over as the full-time starter and led the nation in passing yards with 2,580 on 182 completions out of 325 attempts, adding 12 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions.[10] These efforts helped the Golden Bears achieve a 7–3–1 record, including a notable performance in the Big Game rivalry against Stanford, where Bartkowski threw for key yards in a close 22–20 loss decided by a last-second field goal.[11] His leadership contributed to the team's improved standing, narrowly missing a bowl berth despite strong offensive output.[12] For his standout performance, Bartkowski earned consensus All-American honors as a senior, along with First-Team All-Pac-8 selection and team MVP recognition.[3] He was also named the top quarterback in the West and to the All-Coast Team, capping a college career that propelled him to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.[13] Additionally, Bartkowski excelled in baseball as a first baseman and catcher, earning All-American honors as a sophomore in 1973 after batting .329.[9]NFL career
Atlanta Falcons
Bartkowski was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft after a standout college career at the University of California.[1] As a rookie in 1975, he started 11 of 14 games, completing 115 of 255 passes for 1,662 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, which earned him the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.[1][2] His early seasons were marked by inconsistency and injuries; in 1976 and 1977, he appeared in 13 combined games (5 in 1976 and 8 in 1977), throwing for 1,473 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions while splitting time with other quarterbacks.[1] Bartkowski solidified his role as the Falcons' starting quarterback by 1978, leading the team to a 9-7 record and their first playoff appearance in franchise history.[2] In the wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he guided Atlanta to a 14-13 victory—the team's first playoff win—completing 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in a defensive battle.[2][14] The following years saw his performance peak: in 1980, he threw for 3,544 yards and an NFL-leading 31 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection as the Falcons finished 12-4.[1] In 1981, he set a personal best with 3,829 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, securing another Pro Bowl nod despite a 7-9 record hampered by team injuries.[1] His most efficient season came in 1983, when Bartkowski led the NFL with a 97.6 passer rating, completing 274 of 432 passes for 3,167 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions en route to an 8-8 finish.[1] In 1984, he topped the league in completion percentage at 67.3% before a midseason injury sidelined him.[1] Over his 11 seasons with Atlanta from 1975 to 1985, Bartkowski started 122 games, amassing 23,470 passing yards and 154 touchdowns—records that stood as franchise marks for over two decades until surpassed in the 2000s.[1] These totals underscored his foundational impact, transforming the Falcons from an expansion-era also-ran into a competitive NFC contender with multiple playoff berths.[2] Bartkowski's Falcons tenure concluded in 1985 after he appeared in only five games due to a knee injury sustained early in the season; he was released amid contract disputes, paving the way for a brief signing with the Washington Redskins as an injury replacement.[1][15]Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Rams
Following his release from the Atlanta Falcons in late November 1985 due to injury, Steve Bartkowski signed a two-week contract with the Washington Redskins on December 12, 1985, to serve as an emergency quarterback amid starter Jay Schroeder's fractured rib.[16][17] He remained on the roster as the third-string quarterback for the team's final two regular-season games but did not enter any contests.[18] Bartkowski was released by the Redskins after the season and signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams on April 10, 1986, valued at $250,000 plus performance bonuses, after incumbent starter Dieter Brock sustained a career-ending injury in the preseason.[19][20] With the Rams, he started six of the first seven games, leading the team to a 4–2 record in those outings while posting modest numbers: 61 completions on 126 attempts for 654 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.[1][21] Plagued by lingering effects from prior knee injuries and the demands of adjusting to a new offensive scheme at age 33, Bartkowski struggled with effectiveness and lost the starting job to rookie Jim Everett after Week 7.[22] The Rams did not re-sign him following the season, prompting his retirement after 12 NFL years; he appeared in a total of 6 games across both late-career stints.[22][1]Career statistics and records
Regular season
Bartkowski appeared in 129 regular-season games over his NFL career, compiling 1,932 completions on 3,456 attempts for a 55.9% completion rate, 24,124 passing yards, 156 touchdowns, 144 interceptions, and a 75.4 passer rating.[1] The following table details his year-by-year regular-season passing statistics:| Year | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | ATL | 11 | 115 | 255 | 45.1 | 1,662 | 13 | 15 | 59.3 |
| 1976 | ATL | 5 | 57 | 120 | 47.5 | 677 | 2 | 9 | 39.5 |
| 1977 | ATL | 8 | 64 | 136 | 47.1 | 796 | 5 | 13 | 38.4 |
| 1978 | ATL | 14 | 187 | 369 | 50.7 | 2,489 | 10 | 18 | 61.1 |
| 1979 | ATL | 14 | 204 | 380 | 53.7 | 2,505 | 17 | 20 | 67.3 |
| 1980 | ATL | 16 | 257 | 463 | 55.5 | 3,544 | 31 | 16 | 88.2 |
| 1981 | ATL | 16 | 297 | 533 | 55.7 | 3,829 | 30 | 23 | 79.2 |
| 1982 | ATL | 9 | 166 | 262 | 63.4 | 1,905 | 8 | 11 | 77.9 |
| 1983 | ATL | 14 | 274 | 432 | 63.4 | 3,167 | 22 | 5 | 97.6 |
| 1984 | ATL | 11 | 181 | 269 | 67.3 | 2,158 | 11 | 10 | 89.7 |
| 1985 | ATL | 5 | 69 | 111 | 62.2 | 738 | 5 | 1 | 92.8 |
| 1986 | RAM | 6 | 61 | 126 | 48.4 | 654 | 2 | 3 | 59.4 |
| Career | 2TM | 129 | 1,932 | 3,456 | 55.9 | 24,124 | 156 | 144 | 75.4 |
Postseason
Bartkowski appeared in four postseason games during his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, spanning the 1978, 1980, and 1982 seasons, compiling a 1-3 record.[24] These appearances marked the Falcons' early forays into the playoffs, with Bartkowski serving as the starting quarterback in each contest. He did not play in any postseason games during his brief stints with the Washington Redskins or Los Angeles Rams.[1] The Falcons' first-ever playoff victory came in the 1978 NFC Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 24, where Bartkowski completed 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, despite two interceptions, in a gritty 14-13 win that ended Atlanta's 13-year playoff drought.[2] This triumph advanced the Falcons to the divisional round, though they fell 20-27 to the Dallas Cowboys the following week, with Bartkowski going 8 of 23 for 95 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.[24] In the 1980 divisional playoff against the Cowboys on January 4, 1981, Bartkowski delivered a standout performance, completing 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, but Atlanta lost 27-30 in a high-scoring affair.[24] The Falcons' 1982 postseason, amid the players' strike-shortened season, ended in a first-round loss to the Minnesota Vikings on January 9, 1983, where Bartkowski struggled, completing 9 of 23 passes for 134 yards and two interceptions in a 24-30 defeat.[24] These games highlighted Bartkowski's ability to elevate his play in big moments, such as his 320-yard effort against Dallas, but also exposed vulnerabilities against stout defenses like those of the Cowboys and Vikings.[2] Over his four postseason starts, Bartkowski completed 53 of 111 passes for 792 yards, with five touchdowns and eight interceptions, yielding a passer rating of 54.3.[24]| Date | Opponent | Result | Cmp/Att | Yds | TD | Int | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-12-24 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 14-13 | 18/32 | 243 | 2 | 2 | 75.4 |
| 1978-12-30 | Dallas Cowboys | L 20-27 | 8/23 | 95 | 1 | 3 | 23.2 |
| 1981-01-04 | Dallas Cowboys | L 27-30 | 18/33 | 320 | 2 | 1 | 95.5 |
| 1983-01-09 | Minnesota Vikings | L 24-30 | 9/23 | 134 | 0 | 2 | 22.7 |