{{Short description|American football player (born 1951)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox NFL biography | image = | caption = | number = 63 | position = Defensive end, linebacker | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|3|26}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 7 | weight_lbs = 256 | draftyear = 1973 | draftround = 2 | draftpick = 51 | high_school = Benet Academy {{nowrap|(Lisle, Illinois)}} | college = Purdue (1969–1972) | teams = * New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1973}}–{{NFL Year|1977}}) * Houston Oilers ({{NFL Year|1977}}–{{NFL Year|1979}}) | highlights = * First-team All-Big Ten (1972) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 95 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 27 | statlabel3 = Sacks | statvalue3 = 5.5 | statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue4 = 7 | pfr = B/BaumSt20 }}
'''Steven John Baumgartner''' (born March 26, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 1973 NFL draft. He played for the Saints from 1973 to 1977 and for the Houston Oilers from 1977 to 1979. Baumgartner also had an unusual hobby as a beer can collector.
==Early life== Steven John Baumgartner was born on March 26, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois.<ref name="pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BaumSt20.htm | title=Steve Baumgartner | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=21 May 2026}}</ref> He played high school football at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, as a defensive end.<ref name="pfa">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/b/baum00800.html#gsc.tab=0 | title=Steve Baumgartner | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=21 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="Woodstock">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel/197971649/ | title=Marian Places Three on All-Conference | work=Woodstock Daily Sentinel | date=November 13, 1968 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | pages=3}}</ref> As a senior in 1968, he earned All-Suburban Catholic Conference honors.<ref name="Woodstock"/>
==College career== Baumgartner enrolled at Purdue University to play college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was on the freshman team in 1969.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-and-courier/197971735/ | title=Purdue Issues 130 Awards For Football | work=Journal & Courier | date=November 27, 1969 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | pages=39}}</ref> He made the traveling team in 1970 as the backup defensive tackle to starter John Handy.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/197971837/ | title=Giant Purdue Line vs. Iowa Passing | work=The Gazette | date=October 16, 1970 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Schrader, Gus | pages=17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-and-courier/197971871/ | title=MSU Favored By 7 Points Over Purdue | work=Journal & Courier | date=November 6, 1970 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Ramey, Bruce | pages=17}}</ref> Baumgartner was then a two-year letterman from 1971 to 1972, and earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 1972 as a defensive end.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://purduesports.com/all-time-assistant-coaches-and-letterwinners | title=All-Time Assistant Coaches and Letterwinners | publisher=Purdue University | accessdate=21 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="Thompson">{{cite news | url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/football/2018/11/27/purdue-football-greatest-players-all-time-who-wore-best-91-99/2063686002/ | title=Thompson: Purdue football Who Wore It Best Nos. 91-99 | work=Journal & Courier | date=November 27, 2018 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Thompson, Ken}}</ref> In 2018, the ''Journal & Courier'' named Baumgartner the best Purdue football player to wear jersey number 97.<ref name="Thompson"/>
==Professional career== Baumgartner was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round, with the 51st overall pick, of the 1973 NFL draft.<ref name="pfr"/> He was one of five Purdue players to be selected in the first two rounds of the draft that year.<ref name="Thompson"/> Baumgartner played in all 28 games for the Saints from 1973 to 1974 in a backup role, posting 1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.<ref name="pfr"/> He became the starting right defensive end in 1975, playing in all 28 games while starting 27 from 1975 to 1976, totaling two sacks and four fumble recoveries.<ref name="pfr"/> He saw a decreased role during the 1977 season due to improved play from Elois Grooms and the drafting of first-round pick Joe Campbell.<ref name="waived">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-herald/197972552/ | title=Baumgartner waved; Dalton activated | work=Sun Herald | date=October 27, 1977 | agency=Associated Press | accessdate=21 May 2026 | page=B4}}</ref> Baumgartner played in only five games for the Saints that year before being waived in late October.<ref name="pfr"/><ref name="waived"/>
On October 29, 1977, Baumgartner signed with the Houston Oilers.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/197972715/ | title=Oilers acquire end | work=Arizona Republic | date=October 29, 1977 | agency=Associated Press | accessdate=21 May 2026 | page=D2}}</ref> He played in six games for the Oilers during the 1977 season in a reserve role, recording one sack and two fumble recoveries.<ref name="pfr"/> He converted to linebacker in 1978, playing in all 16 games as a backup and making one sack.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-houston-chronicle/197974857/ | title=Oiler rookies to get hard look | work=The Houston Chronicle | date=July 30, 1978 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Wilson, John}}</ref><ref name="pfr"/> In late August 1979, Baumgartner was placed on the injured list after injuring his knee in the final preseason game.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard/197972886/ | title=Yepremian cut by Dolphins | work=St. Catharines Standard | date=August 28, 1979 | agency=Associated Press | accessdate=21 May 2026 | pages=27}}</ref> He was activated on September 28 and played in the final 12 games of the season as a backup.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-houston-post/197972985/ | title=Father Time gets word to Oiler veteran Bethea | work=The Houston Post | date=September 29, 1979 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Robertson, Dale | page=3C}}</ref><ref name="pfr"/> Baumgartner was cut by the Oilers on August 26, 1980, before the team's final preseason game.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel/197973532/ | title=transactions | work=The Daily Sentinel | date=August 27, 1980 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | pages=27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1980nflhou.html#gsc.tab=0 | title=1980 Houston Oilers (NFL) | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=21 May 2026}}</ref>
==Beer can collecting== During his football career, Baumgartner had an unusual hobby as a beer can collector.<ref name="beer"/> He started collecting them during his freshman year of college and, as of 1975, had 1,200 beer cans lining the walls of a spare room at his house.<ref name="Roesler"/><ref name="beer">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel/163733754/ | title=Dolphins' Robbie: Class By Himself | work=The Orlando Sentinel | date=November 17, 1975 | accessdate=23 January 2025}}</ref> In 1975, he was noted as being one of the 6,000 members of the Beer Can Collectors of America.<ref name="Roesler">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-picayune/197973733/ | title=How Many Cans of Beer Are on That Wall? | work=The Times-Picayune | date=October 12, 1975 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Roesler, Rob}}</ref> Baumgartner said "I go out in the woods and look. Cans don't rust too badly under pine trees. I go just about anywhere except where I might get shot. Anywhere people congregate there will be beer cans."<ref name="Hudspeth">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal/197974143/ | title=Habit Brewing: Saints' Baumgartner Collects Beer Cans | work=The Atlanta Journal | date=October 30, 1975 | accessdate=21 May 2026 | author=Hudspeth, Ron}}</ref> He also started teammate Jim Merlo's interest in beer can collecting.<ref name="Hudspeth"/> Baumgartner said his most valuable can was a Jackson Brewing Company can worth $25 depicting the LSU Tigers.<ref name="Hudspeth"/><ref name="Roesler"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Saints1973DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumgartner, Steve}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Chicago Category:American football defensive ends Category:American football linebackers Category:Benet Academy alumni Category:Purdue Boilermakers football players Category:New Orleans Saints players Category:Houston Oilers players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:American collectors