Steve Sidwell (2018) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame - University of Colorado Athletics

Steve Sidwell

Induction:
2018
Class:
1965

Garnered first-team All-Big Eight honors at linebacker as a senior in 1965, the same year he earned CoSIDA Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Eight honors (just the second player in school history at the time to earn the Academic & Athletic double-double) … He had 67 tackles as a senior, after registering 106, with an interception, as a junior in 1964; he played center on offense that season, the last year college football had a platoon system … He had 94 stops as a sophomore and thus had 267 for his career, the most by any Buff at the time of his graduation … He was CU’s first-ever Big Eight player-of-the week for his efforts in CU’s 14-7 win at Iowa State as a junior, when he had 14 tackles (nine solo) … He was a team tri-captain as a senior, when he was the co-recipient of the team’s Most Valuable Player honor, both voted on by his teammates … Credited by many in helping lead CU back to respectability by the end of his career (he enrolled at CU in 1962 after the school had been besieged by NCAA penalties) … Played in both the Blue-Gray Game and the Hula Bowl in the postseason … Eddie Crowder named him CU’s full-time linebackers coach in 1968 after he spent two years in a graduate assistant role doing the same, and he would be at Crowder’s side until his retirement in 1973 … Helped coach top defenses under Crowder at CU, Following CU, he went on to work as the defensive coordinator at UNLV (1974-75) and SMU (1976-81) before going into the pro ranks, first as an assistant with New England (1982-84) and then Indianapolis (1985) … He was the defensive coordinator for four National Football League teams, most notably for a nine-year stint with New Orleans (1986-94); in his tenure with the Saints, they led the league twice in fewest points allowed (1991-92), in rushing defense (1989) and in passing defense (1992-93) … He was also the D-coordinator with the Houston & Tennessee Oilers (1995-96), New England (1997-99) and Seattle (2000-02) … Coached a total of 31 players who would earn All-Pro accolades and player in the Pro Bowl … Instrumental in coordinating the efforts to fund a C-Club suite at Folsom Field in 2003 after the new east side structure opened that year … In 1989, he was selected to CU’s All-Century Football Team (honorable mention) for the school’s first 100 years of football … He was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall-of-Fame in 2004.