Stephen John Pisarkiewicz ( ; born November 10, 1953) is a former professional

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. Pisarkiewicz played in the NFL,

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Britain and in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano in Spain during his career. He was a first round draft pick by the St Louis Cardinals — the 19th pick overall — in the 1977 NFL Draft.

College career

After graduating from

McCluer High School McCluer High School is a high school located in Florissant, Missouri. It is a part of the Ferguson-Florissant School District. The principal is Cedric Gerald, and the school is the home of the McCluer Comets. Pre-history When McCluer opened in ...

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, Pisarkiewicz was recruited by

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but joined the

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; he was considered the best passer at Missouri since

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and drew attention from NFL scouts. In 1975, Pisarkiewicz led the Big 8 in passing yards, and was second in passing touchdowns.

Professional career

NFL

Pisarkiewicz was drafted 19th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1977 NFL draft, apparently at the insistence of owner

Bill Bidwill William Vogel Bidwill (July 31, 1931 – October 2, 2019) was an American businessman and the owner of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He had co-owned the team from 1962 for ten seasons with his brother Charles Jr. ...

. Expected to take over the starting job from the aging Jim Hart, he failed to impress head coach Bud Wilkinson and started just four games in his time in St. Louis. After leaving St. Louis, Pisarkiewicz played in one game in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

for the Green Bay Packers.

CFL

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, Pisarkiewicz was picked up by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. However, his opportunities there proved limited and he soon moved back to the US.

USFL

Pisarkiewicz spent

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with the Philadelphia Stars but again found playing time limited. He was given two years probation in the same year after pleading guilty to an incident of indecent exposure in

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. It borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the ...

. He spent time in

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with the

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Europe

Cardiff Tigers 1986-1988

In 1986, Pisarkiewicz moved to the United Kingdom and played for the Cardiff Tigers in the Welsh capital. The then-33 year old served as the starting quarterback and a coach. In 1987, the Tigers finished 7–5, while in 1988, Pisarkiewicz threw 44 passing touchdowns.

Birmingham Bulls

In 1989, following the dissolution of the Cardiff Tigers, Pisarkiewicz joined the Birmingham Bulls. Due to the absence of starting quarterback Russ Jensen. Pisarkiewicz salary was the highest in British American football. Pisarkiewicz played in one game for the Bulls, against the

Dublin Celts Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ce ...

before resigning due to internal strife.

Dublin Celts

Pisarkiewicz joined the Dublin Celts as their head coach and general manager. He coached the Celts to the playoffs, before swiftly departing for the United States where he presented the Celts with an ultimatum.

Barcelona Boxers

In 1990, after leaving the Celts, Pisarkiewicz became quarterback for the Barcelona Boxers in Spain.''God Save The Quarterback!'', Michael Globetti, 1991 Pg. 274

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pisarkiewicz, Steve 1953 births Living people American football quarterbacks Missouri Tigers football players St. Louis Cardinals (football) players Green Bay Packers players People from Florissant, Missouri Sportspeople from St. Louis County, Missouri American expatriate players of American football