AARON STECKER
Position: Running Back
Date of birth: November 13, 1975
Height: 5-11/1.55
Weight: 205/93
College: Western Illinois
How acquired: NFL/Tampa Bay
PRO CAREER: Signed with Buccaneers this year spending 1999 season on practice squad…Spent 1999 NFL preseason training camp with Chicago Bears who he signed with as undrafted free agent.
COLLEGE/AMATEUR: Left Western Illinois as the school's all-time leading rusher, despite playing only two years...Finished career as a Leatherneck with 3,081 yards on 550 carries with 36 touchdowns... Owns Leathernecks' top six single-game rushing performances...Transferred to Western Illinois after spending two seasons at Wisconsin...Led team as a senior with 1,124 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns...Rushed for 382 yards in three Division 1-AA playoff games...Rushed for over 100 yards in seven of the nine games he played...Did not play the first two games of senior season due to injury...Led NCAA Division 1-AA in scoring as a junior with 150 points, the fourth highest in Division 1-AA history...Finished second in the nation with 1,957 rushing yards...Finished second in the Walter Payton Award balloting, despite tying with the winner with 12 first place votes...Set 23 WIU records and seven Gateway Conference records over junior season...Named to six all-American teams and was the Gateway Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year...Eclipsed the 100-yard rushing barrier in nine games and 200-yard mark in five contests...Played two seasons at Wisconsin totaling 626 yards rushing on 122 carries...Served as a return specialist as a sophomore, returning 28 kickoffs for 603 yards...Rushed for 334 yards as a freshman, the sixth highest ever by a Badger freshman...Recorded two 100-yard efforts...Tied school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the longest return in college football in 1995...Redshirted in 1994.
PERSONAL: Majored in law enforcement and justice administration at Western Illinois…Lettered four years in football and baseball at Ashwaubenon High in Green Bay, Wisconsin…Named Wisconsin High School player of the year by AP and Milwaukee Journal in his senior year…Rushed for 2,157 yards and 37 TDs en route to state finals…Also played wide receiver at high school catching 44 passes in junior year for eight TDs…Named all-state as senior and junior…Nickname is 'Steck'…Married to Kara who is a model…Biggest thrill was having Walter Payton watch him play a playoff game in college…wants to travel and start his own company after football.