{{Short description|American football player (born 1952)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Steve Odom | number = 84 | position = Wide receiver, kick returner | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|9|5|mf=y}} | birth_place = Oakland, California, U.S. | height_ft = 5 | weight_lb = 173 | height_in = 8 | high_school = Berkeley (CA) | college = Utah | draftyear = 1974 | draftround = 5 | draftpick = 116 | pastteams = * Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1974|1979}}) * New York Giants (1979) | highlights = * Pro Bowl (1975) * First-team All-American (1973) | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 84 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 1,613 | statlabel3 = Total TDs | statvalue3 = 15 | pfr = OdomSt00 }}
'''Stephen Odom''' (born September 5, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes, twice finishing second in the country in receiving touchdowns with 11 his sophomore and 8 his junior year, and led the nation in kickoff returns in 1972. He was a first-team All-American (as a return specialist) and Academic All-American in 1973. At the time of graduation, he held records for touchdowns (26), receiving yards in a game (177 vs Arizona St in 1972), receiving touchdowns in a season (11 in 1972) and career (19), longest kickoff return (93 yards vs Texas Tech in 1973), most career punt return yards (548), longest punt return (95 yards vs UTEP in 1973), most career kickoff returns (99) and yards (2,582), and most yards per catch in a season (22.1 in 1972; these last four records still stand).<ref>{{cite web |title=Utah Utes Media Guide, 2019 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/utahutes.com/documents/2019/7/22/2019_Utah_Football_Media_Guide_web.pdf |website=Utah Athletic Department |accessdate=10 November 2019}}</ref> Odom was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 5th round of the 1974 draft, where he played five seasons, and one with the New York Giants (1979). He went to the Pro Bowl after the 1974 season. He had both a punt and a kick return of 95 yards for a touchdown during his time with the Packers.
Odom has held at least 4 Packers franchise records, including: * Most Kick Returns (career): 179 * Most Kick Ret Yds (career): 4,124 * Most Total Return Yds (career): 4,693 * Longest punt return for a touchdown: 95 yards (CHI 1974, Week 9).<ref>{{cite web | last = Goska | first = Eric | title = Williams, Robinson a historic dynamic duo | url = http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/PKR07/711190475/1989 | accessdate = 2007-11-19 | archive-date = 2020-03-29 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200329015420/http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/PKR07/711190475/1989 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
== See also == * List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Green Bay Packers 1974 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odom, Stephen}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Oakland, California Category:American football wide receivers Category:American football return specialists Category:Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni Category:Utah Utes football players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:New York Giants players Category:20th-century American sportsmen