Steve Strinko
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Steven Douglas Strinko (born October 5, 1952) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player. He played as a
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
for Coach
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of ...
at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
and was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the
1974 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1974 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1974 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 1 ...
. He subsequently founded FAN, Inc., a non-profit organization established to identify and provide medical assistance to former
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
athletes experiencing hardships as a result of injuries incurred during sanctioned NCAA activities.


Monroe High School

Strinko was born in
Middletown, Ohio Middletown is a city located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, about 35 miles (47 km) north of Cincinnati. The population as of the 2020 census was 50,987. It is part of the Cincinnati metropo ...
, the son of Thomas and Earlene Strinko. He attended Monroe High School in
Monroe, Ohio Monroe is a city in east central Butler and west central Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 15,412 at the 2020 census. Monroe is a part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. History Monroe was l ...
, and earned three letters each in track and football and one in basketball. He was a linebacker and
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
on the Monroe Hornets football team from 1968 to 1970. In Strinko's three seasons of varsity football at Monroe, the team lost only one football game. Strinko was selected for the All Mid Miami Conference three times, All Southwestern Ohio two times, All-Ohio two times, and was selected as a first-team Scholastic Coach Magazine High School All-American. In May 1971, he also received the Banquet of Champions award as the outstanding male high school athlete in the
Greater Cincinnati The Cincinnati metropolitan area and also known as the Cincinnati Tri-State area, or Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area centered on Cincinnati and including surrounding counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The area i ...
area. In January 2010, Strinko was named as an honorable mention selection on the All-Time All-Ohio High School Football Team. Strinko also maintained a 4.0 grade point average as a high school student, and was the sports editor on the school paper and a member of the student council and National Honor Society.


University of Michigan


Commitment to Michigan

As one of Ohio's top football recruits in the Class of 1971, Strinko was recruited by Alabama,
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, Notre Dame,
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, Michigan and other universities. In January 1971, Strinko and his parents watched
Super Bowl V Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to determine the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
with Ohio State Coach
Woody Hayes Wayne Woodrow Hayes (February 14, 1913 – March 12, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University (1946–1948), Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1949–1950), and Ohio State University (1951 ...
at his house. The Strinkos were the only family invited and enjoyed a home-cooked meal prepared by Hayes' wife Anne. In March 1971, Strinko announced that he had accepted a scholarship to attend the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. At the time of his commitment to Michigan, one Ohio newspaper reported:
"Herculean Steve Strinko, one of the most complete gridiron players in Southwestern Ohio, signed a letter of intent to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Wednesday evening at his residence in the suburbs of Monroe. ... Strinko, who possesses superbrains and super-brawn to complement a super-personality, was all smiles as he inked his promise to attend the conference football powerhouse."
Strinko dismissed the notion that he was a "traitor" for choosing Michigan over Ohio State, noting that he chose Michigan "because I liked Bo [Michigan head football coach
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of ...
] a lot. I was probably more impressed with him than with OSU Coach Woody Hayes. They (Michigan recruiters) said I'd definitely play linebacker here. That's what I've always wanted to play. Other schools said I might play somewhere else." Strinko later recalled that Woody Hayes never got over his decision to attend Michigan.


1973 season

Strinko started all 11 games at
middle linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
for the undefeated 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team and set a University of Michigan record with 137 tackles during the 1973 season. The 1973 team won the first 10 games of the season but played
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
to a 10-10 tie in the final game of the season. The defense allowed only 68 points, an average of 6.2 points per game. The Big Ten Conference voted to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl, and conference rules prevented a second Big Ten team from accepting a bowl bid. Before the 1974 rematch with Ohio State, Strinko said, "You're never going to see a team as high as Michigan in Columbus. It went to a vote last year and they shafted us. So we're not going to let them shaft us this time. The other day some of us were sitting around watching TV and one of the guys said, 'If you gave me an elbow pad before the Ohio State game I'd be ready to eat it.'"


1974 season

As a senior, Strinko started 10 games at middle linebacker for the 1974 team, missing one game due to a knee injury suffered in the fourth game of the season against
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
. Strinko also called the signals on defense for the 1974 team that allowed only 75 points, an average of 6.8 points per game. In October 1974, Michigan defensive coordinator
Gary Moeller Gary Oscar Moeller (; January 26, 1941 – July 11, 2022) was an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 f ...
called Strinko "the best linebacker we've had at Michigan. He hustles all over the field. I can see why the pro scouts are so high on him." Strinko accumulated 117 tackles in 10 games and was selected by his teammates as the Most Valuable Player on the 1974 team. Years later, Strinko said, "Of all my accomplishments I consider he 1974 Most Valuable Player awardthe most important. I am humbled to this day at being its recipient and at times fear I have not lived up to its relevance. The Most Valuable Player Award, since it is voted on by your peers, is, at its essence, a reflection of leadership and dedication to 'TEAM'." At the end of the 1974 season, Strinko was selected by the
United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
as a first-team All-Big Ten player and a second-team All-American player. Strinko's younger brother, Greg Strinko, also played for the 1974 Michigan team as a defensive end. Strinko later said that, outside of his family relationships, playing football at Michigan for Bo Schembechler was "the single most rewarding experience of my life. The camaraderie and meaningful friendships formed in those four years are enduring and special."


Detroit Lions

Strinko was selected by the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in the 9th round (219th overall pick) of the
1975 NFL Draft The 1975 National Football League draft was held January 28–29, 1975, at the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartko ...
. When Strinko was not drafted after the first six rounds, Michigan coach Bo Schembechler told reporters he was shocked: "Strinko hasn't been drafted yet? That is unbelievable! Astounding!" He underwent knee surgery before signing with the Lions in June 1975. Strinko's knee did not recuperate fully following the surgery, and he was placed on the injured reserve list for the entire 1975 season. Strinko later recalled:
"I had spent my rookie year, 1975, on injured reserve recovering from knee surgery performed by the University of Michigan's Orthopedic Specialist, Dr. O'Connor. You see the Lions would not sign me to a contract unless Michigan's Team Doctor's performed the necessary surgery, as the injury had occurred playing football at Michigan. This process relieved the Lions from any liability."
Strinko attempted to make the Lions team in 1976, but he was unable to keep fluid off of his knee, and the Lions told him that his condition was chronic and degenerative. In the end, Strinko never played in an NFL game.


FAN, Inc.

In 2007, Strinko was awaiting knee replacement surgery and a determination by the
Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...
regarding his application for disability. He had no insurance and there was no organization in place that offered financial assistance to athletes injured while participating in college athletics. Strinko organized a non-profit organization called FAN, Inc., the Foundation for Athletes in Need. The mission of FAN, Inc., is to identify and provide medical assistance to former NCAA athletes experiencing hardships as a result of injuries incurred during sanctioned NCAA activities. Strinko states that he has been certified as 100% disabled, qualifying him for Medicare benefits, so that the funds raised by FAN, Inc., would not be used for his own medical needs. He noted that his goal is to assist others who are not fortunate to have the means to fund their medical care. On the FAN, Inc. web site, Strinko states:
"Over the course of time I have discovered what I believe is a serious gap in services for former student athletes who have been injured while participating in an NCAA sanctioned sport. These athletes have dedicated, not only their hearts and minds but also their bodies to the success and proliferation of their respective university athletic programs. Many of these injuries have manifested into long-term, chronic problems. These debilitating injuries are often left untreated which only exacerbates the problem. My goal in the creation of FAN, Inc. ... is to assist these under and uninsured individuals in obtaining relevant, professional services."


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strinko, Steve 1952 births Michigan Wolverines football players Sportspeople from Middletown, Ohio Living people Sportspeople from the Cincinnati metropolitan area Players of American football from Ohio People from Monroe, Ohio