Jimmy Steele (American football)

James Henry Steele, Jr. (December 11, 1909 – September 15, 1980), nicknamed Jimmy Steele, was an American college football player and coach for the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida.

Jimmy Steele
Steele from 1931 Seminole yearbook
Florida Gators – No. 36
PositionTackle, guard
Career history
CollegeFlorida (1928–1930)
High schoolHillsborough
Personal information
Born:(1909-12-11)December 11, 1909
Tampa, Florida
Died:September 15, 1980(1980-09-15) (aged 70)
Hillsborough County, Florida
Weight194 lb (88 kg)
Career highlights and awards

Early years

A native of Tampa, Florida,[1] he attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa, and played for coach Nash Higgins' Hillsborough Terriers high school football team.

University of Florida

After high school, Steele enrolled in the University of Florida in 1927, where he played for coach Charlie Bachman's Florida Gators football team from 1928 to 1930. He played at the tackle and guard positions for the great Gators of 1928, which finished with a win-loss record of 8–1, losing only their last game by a single point to the Tennessee Volunteers, 13–12. After the 1928 season, Steele was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a second-team All-American.[2] The guard position was very competitive in the south in 1928. One writer notes "Had not Vanderbilt possessed its Brown, Alabama its Hagler and Georgia Tech its Drennon, Florida Steele would have been on the 1928 All-Southern."[1] In December 1929, the Miami Daily News and Metropolis called him "the best linesman in the south" and noted that, throughout the 1928 and 1929 seasons, he had, "game in and game out, been head and shoulders above any linesmen on the field."[3] That same month, the Gators football team selected Leroy "Red" Bethea as captain of the 1930 team and Steele as the alternate captain.[4] Following his 1930 senior season, United Press named him to its All-Southern first team.

Coaching career

After graduating from Florida in 1931, Steele returned to his alma mater as line coach.[5]

Semi-pro ball

Steele also played semi-pro football for the Tampa All-Stars.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Press Notices Have No Effect on Gator Guard: Jimmy Steele Keeps Head Despite Shower of Newspaper Praise". St. Petersburg Times. October 5, 1929. p. 2.
  2. Henry L. Farrell (December 3, 1928). "Farrell Names Three All-America Grid Teams". Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian. p. 5.
  3. "Here's Intro to the Gator First String". Miami Daily News and Metropolis. December 6, 1929. p. 15.
  4. "Halfback Elected Captain". The Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida. December 17, 1929. p. 5A.
  5. "Jim Steele To Return As Mentor". The Evening Independent. September 4, 1931.
  6. "Bethea's Long Run Gives Yankees 6-0 Victory Over Tampans". St. Petersburg Times. January 2, 1933. p. 6.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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