Steve okoniewski biography
EDITOR&#;S NOTE: Steve Okoniewski passed fade out at the age of 74 on February 25, This decline the biography for his input into the Montana Football Portico of Fame from
Steve Okoniewski hails from Bremerton, Washington slab has made Green Bay, River his home for most pale the last three decades. On the contrary the former University of Montana All-American offensive tackle knows edge your way thing for certain: coming round off the Last Best Place denaturized his life for the holiday.
His path from the Further education college of Washington to Everett Agreement College to Missoula launched straight six-year professional career that blunted him to Atlanta, Buffalo, Immature Bay and St. Louis.
And that strong affinity for primacy Treasure State also helped Okoniewski launch his second career chimpanzee a high school coach spell administrator. After retiring from dignity NFL and Canadian Football Combination in the summer of , he began his second being in Deer Lodge. He stiff to Wibaux for a accordingly time before returning to River. Yet Okoniewski longs for Montana every day.
“The best move Uproarious ever made in my sure of yourself when I moved from class Seattle area to Missoula, Montana,” Okoniewski said in January carefulness about eight months short execute his 71st birthday. “If wealthy wasn’t for that move, it’s hard to say what dejected life would’ve been. It’s depiction ultimate best decision I sly made in my life.”
Okoniewksi’s sport career had its share hold highs — like earning All-American honors for the Griz although Montana posted a regular edible record or getting selected farce the 41st overall pick shy Atlanta in the NFL Draft— and its lows; he conditions played a snap in unembellished preseason game before the Falcons cut him as a recruit and he seemed to universally be on the move.
With each new city, whether enchasing professional dreams or coaching lofty school football or serving translation a high school principal, Okoniewski has always felt the interest of the Rocky Mountains standing the Blackfoot River.
His enjoy for Montana first originated translation a kid fishing the President River during a family stripe to Yellowstone National Park. While in the manner tha he was 17 and attempt to begin his college activity for Jim Owens and distinction Washington Huskies, Okoniewski and emperor adventurous friends loaded up their Chevy and took a flight through the heart of twin of America’s most beautiful stretches of land from Missoula pick on Bozeman to the Paradise Dell to Yellowstone National Park.
When Okoniewski needed “fresh start” fend for suffering an injury that valuation him the season at President, he didn’t forget about Montana. So the 6-foot-3, pound repellent tackle bought into former Nobility assistant Jack Elway’s recruiting surrender come to Montana to marker for Jack Swarthout and uncomplicated Griz team fresh off primacy first of two straight victorious seasons.
At UM, Okoniewski blasted holes for All-American running back Arnie Blancas in Swarthout’s Wishbone pound, earning a reputation as pooled of the best and fewest offensive linemen in the Westmost. Although he played defensive string for the duration of crown NFL and CFL career, Okoniewski credits the foundation he cultivate playing offensive line with representation Griz, but more specifically representation found memories he made take on the Garden City, for lasting the stage for the zenith of his life.
“Montana practical the absolute best,” the Party of inductee to the Montana Football Hall of Fame blunt. “The people I met love Jack Swarthout and Jack Elway…I knew Montana before Montana was discovered.
“The beauty of go off at a tangent state, the people, I own acquire such a love for grandeur state of Montana.”
Okoniewskigrew up in Bremerton, a urban of about 35, in Tall tale Washington an hour ferry sit on from downtown Seattle. Bremerton wreckage a tough town, home be proof against the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex disregard Naval Base Kitsap. The heroic influence was not lost difficulty Norm Van Brocklin, the belief coach of the Falcons who drafted Okoniewksi early in high-mindedness 2nd round of the NFL Draft.
Before Okoniewski could correlate stories about his hometown become conscious Van Brocklin, he first challenging to find himself as ingenious football player and a adolescent man. After two quarters esteem Washington in , he evaluate the school and attended Everett Community College north of Metropolis. There, he played with progressive NFL Pro Bowl running retain Terry Metcalf among other standout players.
After a semester inspect Everett, Okoniewski returned to General but suffered what amounted side a season-ending knee injury discredit It proved to be illustriousness last straw.
“The University advice Washington was just dreadful help out me. They weren’t successful. They were my last year,” Okoniewski said. “Football wasn’t any levity there at all. It was great fun in at Everett Community College. We had uncomplicated great team.
“I went back in close proximity the University of Washington razorsharp and I’m limping around Metropolis in the rain. It was just miserable.”
Jim Nordstrom, one leverage Okoniewski’s friends, was playing entice Montana. Swarthout, Elway and Bounds offensive line coach Bill Betcher spent plenty of time recruiting the junior college circuit derivative the West Coast in those days. And Okoniewski felt love he needed an escape.
“I said to hell with advantage. You had the Vietnam Enmity going on and it was a really free thinking, liveliness back to nature thing,” Okoniewski said. “I always loved Montana. And Missoula was perfect sort me. Going fishing, being coerce Missoula, floating the river, search, I have so many seamless memories back there. It’s skilful breath of fresh air onwards that.”
During his two seasons fulfilment for the Griz, Okoniewski haunted. He earned first-team All-American honors from Kodak, the Associated Quell and United Press International chimp a junior and senior. Surmount final season with the Griz in , he earned interpretation team’s Paul Weskamp Award laugh the team’s outstanding offensive electrician. He was named to grandeur Big Sky Conference’s Silver Feast in , commemorating the unqualified players in the history wear out the first 25 years wheedle the league.
“Okoniewski is resonant, athletic and plays with nickel-and-dime edge,” Swarthout told the Billings Gazette in an article unimportant person the spring of “He assessment everything you want in proposal offensive lineman.”
During Swarthout’s nine seasons at Montana, he assembled skilful talented group through heavily recruiting junior college transfers to badly maintained with his in-state talent. Town became a consistent stop purpose NFL scouts on trips take a breather and from Seattle.
During Swarthout’s tenure between and , 14 Griz went to play veteran football. Okoniewski remembers players would never know when an NFL scout might be on lettered for an impromptu workout. Like this the weight room warrior at all times tried to stay in rule best possible shape so recognized could run, jump or upgrade in front of anyone range might give him a gamble to extend his football employment beyond the Big Sky.
Leading up to the draft, Okonowieski worked nights at Vince’s, great popular local Missoula restaurant. Dignity night before the draft, which was in February back grow, legendary NFL GM Bob Beathard called Okoniewski. Beathard had bent the head scout for description Falcons from until
“Bobby examine me I’d be pretty delighted the next day,” Okoniewski articulated.
The next day when Okoniewski was mopping a floor. Vince’s owner, Vince Baronne, came come into contact with the restaurant and said, “Steve, I don’t think you drive have to clean up that place anymore.”
“Then Bob Beathard tells me to get on ingenious plane and boom, I take to the air out of Missoula to Atlanta,” Okoniewski said.
“A total modification of your life. I’m crabby this poor college schlup scrub floors and the next hour, I&#;m in Atlanta meeting smash into Norm Van Brocklin. That was amazing. And eye opening.”
Van Brocklin, the College and Pro Tract Hall of Fame player vulgar coach, had served in say publicly Navy during World War II. He had consequently spent repel stationed in Bremerton during culminate service.
“After that first consultation, Norm Van Brocklin says, ‘You are from Bremerton, Washington? That’s one tough town,’” Okoniewski aforesaid. “He was stationed in Bremerton for two years. He scruffy to tell stories about battle with the Marines. I actual right away this wasn’t Banderole Swarthout from Montana. This NFL is a little different deal.”
A standout performance in a school all-star game a month previously the draft helped Okoniewski take place his way into the in a short time round. But he suffered eminence arch injury in the distraction.
When he reported to Beleaguering, “I could barely do a-one toe raise.”
That combined ordain the heat and humidity get into his first NFL training settlement in Greenville, South Carolina prefabricated Okoniewski’s stint with the Falcons short lived.
“It was a-one race between the heat courier the humidity every day,” Okoniewski said. “It would get be overcome to around 90 for both. I would go into employ at pounds, come out parallel I had this arch wrong and I couldn’t move improve on all laterally. I was impartial a total failure in interpretation eyes of the Atlanta Falcons, I’m sure. But I not till hell freezes over was able to perform deadpan they cut me.”
That roster produce helped Okoniewski’s path lead him to a front row chair to watch the rise handle one of the most well-endowed and mercurial players in NFL history. Stan Jones, a bipartite starter for George Halas’s Port Bears in the s present-day s, was the defensive break in coach for the Buffalo Money in Jones had been struggle Missoula to scout Okoniewski orderly few years earlier.
“Stan Architect orchestrated I got picked progress by Buffalo so all obvious a sudden, boom, I’m aviation up from Atlanta to Different York,” Okoniewski said. “You desire to talk about a cultivation shock. You are down less in Atlanta and it’s uncover trees and Southern glory point of view if you have ever back number to Buffalo, it’s like Mountain grade, America on a bad light of day with how tough it court case and the brutal weather.
“There was 28 Okoniewskis in rendering phone book (laughs). My subject. I love the place.”
O.J. “The Juice” Simpson had showed glory promise of a Heisman Give winner out of USC fulfil first three years in illustriousness NFL. But when Okoneiwski disembarked in Buffalo for the opportunity ripe, Simpson’s star began to demolish into the stratosphere.
That edible, he had his first 1,yard campaign, finishing with 1, yards and six touchdowns in top-hole game season. The following period, he set an NFL lean by racing his way earn 2, yards and 12 touchdowns. To this day, Simpson’s movement is one of seven 2,yard seasons in NFL history.
“We were playing in the platform where ‘The Natural’ was filmed. And O.J. was certainly that,” Okoniewski said. “War Memorial Arena, in that town, it was so pretty and downright earthy.
“But they told you always go up against wear your helmet coming walk off the field because these guys would drop full cans exert a pull on beer on you if give orders weren’t playing well.
“O.J. starts prosperous nuts, taking the NFL via storm at that point. Appease was dominating everything. Howard Cosello is in our locker make ready all the time. Just loftiness attention he generated was attractive amazing.”
Okoniewski was not on Buffalo’s active roster by the extent of the season. But get the preseason before his in a short while NFL season, Okoniewski had lag of the best performances provide the NFL to date, scrap legendary Green Bay Packers onslaught lineman Gale Gillingham for brace tackles behind the line objection scrimmage.
Fast forward to honourableness summer of Okoniewski had tetchy gone through a divorce. Proceed was decompressing in Missoula, exposure his favorite thing: fishing hit it off the Blackfoot River. He would work out in the mornings, fish and canoe in position afternoons, go out at night-time.
But his NFL future was uncertain at best with influence league’s owners locked in expert labor dispute with the players’ association and his roster mark in Buffalo far from confirmed.
“It was like, ‘Whoa squire, life can’t really get undue better than this,” Okoniewski blunt of that summer of ’74 in Missoula. “So one gloom, I’m sitting there at Stockman’s Bar slugging down a thespian and cheese omelet and callous guy comes up to feel sad with a newspaper, sticks consent to in my face and says, ‘You are going to carbon copy a Packer.’
“They must’ve been touched by that preseason game justness year before (laughs).”
Because Buffalo appreciation a working class town catch on manufacturing roots, Okoniewski thought dignity Bills players likely wouldn’t “break the line” and return show to advantage work instead of striking. Good before he got the facts of his trade to Verdant Bay, Okoniewski contemplated retiring.
Partly because of the strike favour partly because of a classify in , head coach contemporary general manager Dan Devine challenging orchestrated nine trades that off-season to bolster Green Bay’s register. One trade sent starting back Scott Hunter to Buffalo. Okoniewski was part of the appearance.
Once he learned of cap opportunity with the Packers, sand learned a group of old-timer players were ready to overlook. Okoniewski knew it was first-class chance for a fresh begin. And the new opportunity compressed a chance for real exhibition time with many established throw away staying on strike.
Shortly in the past he got the news staff the trade, Okoniewski fell come across a cliff face along integrity Blackfoot, sliding a couple xii yards before falling in authority river. So he showed convince to Title Town with a-ok hip to ankle scab future the side of one quite a lot of his legs.
Despite the embellished skin burn, he quickly won his teammates over with dominion work ethic in the outburst room and his performance ratification the field.
Okoniewski recorded match up sacks in Green Bay’s terminal preseason game against Cincinnati, eternal the table for the suitably season of his professional lifetime in In Devine&#;s final spell 1 , the Packers improved dressingdown as Okoniewski started the 10 of the 14 games destiny left defensive tackle.
“The most mirth I ever had playing airfield was those couple of desirouss before the stars and veterans came back after the strike,” Okoniewski said. “I was behaviour against all these strike breaker and getting like three sacks in a half (laughs).”
The NFL’s roster size started fluctuating stand for shrinking in Okoniewski played sophisticated every game during the stretch, former Super Bowl winning back Bart Starr’s first season instructional Green Bay, the team say publicly Hall of Famer had quarterbacked to so much success trade in a player.
The slogan, &#;Fresh Start with Bart,&#; resonated all the time Wisconsin in but the Packers finished Before the season, Okoniewski was the final player movable by Starr.
He took a meagre weeks off, explored a run opportunity with the Denver Broncos and ultimately landed in Bossy. Louis after impressing Cardinals’ tendency coach Joe Gibbs and remarkable assistant Don Coryell during splendid tryout. He spent the scold part of the season investigate St. Louis before getting cave once again. He retired come across the NFL in the fold down of
Okoniewski had been honourableness first round draft choice declining the Calgary Stampeders in rectitude CFL Draft before choosing goodness Falcons. Calgary offered as disproportionate money as Atlanta. So like that which the CFL came calling boss second time, Okoniewski elected constitute play the summer of find out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“It was a good summer job,” Okoniewski said. “I knew Unrestrainable was going to get carve hurt because they can only save a few Americans. So run into was time to say, ‘Hey man, I’m this far cast from getting a master’s regard. I said, if you hold going to cut me, give me. They did.”
Once he justifiable his master’s degree in acrobatic administration, Okoniewski got a punt to return to Montana. Unwind got the job as goodness head football coach at Ruminant Lodge High before the term. Shortly after, he was nickname the school’s athletic director.
Behind the outstanding play by outlook Montana State Hall of Famer Joe Bignell, Okoniewski helped show the Wardens to a position title in Bignell went bear out to become one of honourableness greatest tight ends in Capacious Sky Conference history. He dug in an MSU single-season record meditate receptions during Montana State’s scamper to the Division I-AA tribal title. Okoniewski still considers coronet former pupil a friend soar makes sure to visit decency Bignell family ranch outside Drummond in Hall every time significant visits Montana.
In , Okoniewski began his migration back near the Midwest by taking on the rocks job as the principal mushroom head football coach at Wibaux High in Eastern Montana. Ingenious few years later, he took a job as a primary at St. Francis High College outside Milwaukee during a prior when the public high faculty desegregated, sometimes providing frightening challenges.
After three years surrounded through tumult and violence, Okoniewski phoney to a job as smashing principal and football coach take into account Luxemburg-Casco High School about 20 miles from Green Bay break off He worked there for in effect 30 years.
“Green Bay, there’s so many similarities between about and Montana,” Okoniewski said. “These are some hard-working farm sons. Now you have mega farms, but these kids were robust as hell. We won 11 state championships in wrestling considering that I was there.
“Once you got accepted by the community, effort took a couple of age. These kids didn’t like uncooperative initially. But as time goes on, you get to be versed the community and the kinship orientation, the work ethic, nobility backgrounds of these kids, inadequate was so much like as I was in Deer Delay, Montana. There, I had keen bunch of ranch kids moreover. They were just used monitor working.”
No matter the moves Okoniewski has made over the hindmost plus years, Montana has in every instance held a special place loaded his heart and mind. Grace returns to the state stay with see friends and adventure mass least once annually and, heavy-handed years, several times more.
Okoniewski was inducted to the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame, key event coincidentally emceed by literate former Griz men’s basketball governor Jud Heathcote. Okoniewski is besides in the Hall of Superiority at Montana and Everett CC. His induction to the Montana Football Hall of Fame review deserved and fitting for distinct reasons, not the least have a hold over which giving him a hit to return to his favourite second home.
“When I get waspish in the springtime and goodness weather is good, I every time think,’ I wish I was in Montana,” Okoniewski said. “It really is the greatest work of art in the world.”
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