Mark Stepnoski

Mark Stepnoski is most commonly remembered as wearing number 53 on the football field, either with the Dallas Cowboys or the Houston/Tennessee Oilers in the late 1990’s. Stepnoski was born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1967, where he established a reputation for himself and became a highly recruited player entering college. He signed with the University of Pittsburgh and was a fouryear starter until debuting for the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. Stepnoski was selected in the third round of the draft. He played for the Cowboys on two separate occasions, from 1989-1994 and again from 199-2001. In between, Stepnoski played for the Tennessee Titans. After retiring from the NFL in 2001 with 13 years under his belt, Stepnoski could proudly say that he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. The dedication he displayed to the sport and his teams also resulted in Stepnoski being a recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award in 1994.