UNC football hero dead at age 50

North Carolina

UNC football hero dead at age 50

Steve Streater

Jun 20, 2009

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Asheboro, N.C. — UNC football hero Steve Streater died Friday at Randolph Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor. He was 50 years old. The hospital declined to release his cause of death.

Streater starred on the 1980 North Carolina team, the last to win an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. Streater, the team’s punter and top defensive back, played alongside Lawrence Taylor and Donnell Thompson – two players who made names for themselves in the NFL.

Streater’s own professional hopes were dashed by a car wreck. While returning from a tryout with the Washington Redskins in the spring of 1981, he suffered a broken neck. The injury left him paralyzed.

Though he set a goal of learning to walk again, Streater spent the remaining 28 years of his life in a wheelchair.

In 2005, the university honored the 1980 team. Streater made the trip to Kenan Stadium that day as he often did after the accident, in spite of his injuries.

Most Recent Comments

RE: UNC football hero dead at age 50

In case "football hero" isn't clear to you, it means he performed heroics on the football field. UNC finished 11-1 that year. It was a great year. They beat Texas in their bowl game.

RE: UNC football hero dead at age 50

Airman obviously has issues. The story lists him as a "football hero." Get over yourself man. You're obviously too vain to be a hero, or else you never would have brought up your service record. A true hero NEVER boasts.

RE: UNC football hero dead at age 50

your a sick man!

RE: UNC football hero dead at age 50

P.S Kenny his life was not "taken away" his life was spared! It's called pitty there are thousands of people who inspire and do things with there life such as athletics even with their disabilities. You tell me what he did that was so heroic and inspiring, pin-point something and tell me!

RE: UNC football hero dead at age 50

Since you want to go there Kenny Walters...Not that I like to boast about my past, but I did serve in the Army for four years and was in the battle group that was considered the "tip of the spear" as we were the first units to invade Iraq. Until you can prove to me, that we were not heros or defending this country and sorry people who critrized us for going after Bin Laden and Hussein. Until you see your fellow soldiers getting blown to bits right beside you and hear them say that they did it for a better world....you J.A. you don't know true heroism is...You should not even address this situation....jerk. You consider calling someone a hero...What a joke

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North Carolina