Place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio Name Markus Steele Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | High school: St. Peter Chanel Weight 109 kg College: Southern California | |
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NFL draft: 2001 / Round: 4 / Pick: 122 Education Date of birth: (1979-07-24) July 24, 1979 (age 41) | ||
Markus Steele (born July 24, 1979 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a former American football linebacker who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League.
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Early years
Steele attended the now defunct St. Peter Chanel High School, where he lettered in football and basketball. He played only two years of football and missed most of his junior season with a broken ankle. As a senior, he played running back and linebacker, scoring 17 touchdowns in just 6 games, because he was suspended for poor grades.
He accepted a scholarship to play at Long Beach City College, and as a sophomore he registered: 93 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 2 touchdowns. He transferred to the University of Southern California and was given the number 55, which is a school tradition for the best linebackers. He was a two-year starter at weak-side linebacker. As a junior, he played with a shoulder injury that required surgery at the end of the season, he finished with: 91 tackles (second on the team), 12 tackles for losses (first on the team), 3 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.
Dallas Cowboys
Entering the 2001 NFL Draft, he was seen as a great athlete that lacked football instincts. He was selected in the 4th round by the Dallas Cowboys (122nd overall).
After strong-side linebacker Darren Hambrick was waived by the team, following the fifth game of the season, and with little depth at the linebacker position, he was named the starter as a rookie. He played in 15 games (10 starts), and totaled 51 tackles and 3 special teams tackles.
In 2002, he was relegated to a backup position after the Cowboys signed free agent Kevin Hardy. The next season, Hardy left via free agency, but he could not unseat free agent Al Singleton from the starter role.
He was waived on August 31, 2004, after playing 42 games (12 starts), totaling: 71 tackles (49 solo) and 33 special teams tackles.
Denver Broncos
Steele signed with the Denver Broncos in 2005, and was released before the start of the season.
Northeast Ohio Predators
In 2013, he started playing, MLB, and coaching defense, for the Northeast Ohio Predators, which is a semi-professional team in the Heartland Football League. Married to Kimberlê Steele, semi-professional football GM.