Steve Worster of Bridge City and his college teammates had nationwide attention December 6, 1969, in a now-legendary football game attended by President Richard Nixon.
History shows Worster’s Texas Longhorns beat the Arkansas Razorbacks 15-14 in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. The joy of the young men on his team didn’t last long. Shocking news came six days later. 19-year-old Freddie Steinmark, a starting defensive back on the team, was diagnosed with cancer and his left leg was amputated at the hip.
“It made you really question life. Freddie was a sweetheart, such an assuming young man. It wasn’t fair,” Worster said.
Twenty days later, Steinmark walked the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl using crutches with one pants leg carefully pulled up as the Longhorns beat Notre Dame. He died at M.D. Anderson 18 months after the amputation.
A film, My All American, tells the story of Steinmark and his Longhorn team. The movie opens at some theaters on Thursday, Friday at others. But it’s not all football. “It’s more of a love story,” Worster said. “I was surprised about that.”
Steinmark’s high school girlfriend followed him from Colorado to Austin to attend the university. They faced his illness and death together.
Worster said he and his fellow teammates saw a screening in Austin. “We thought the movie was well done,” he said. Actor Austin Willis (pictured below with Worster) is getting his first big-screen credit by portraying Worster. The real Worster said he isn’t a big part of the film and is portrayed in a couple of training room scenes.
Another acting newcomer, Juston Street, is also in the movie playing Longhorn quarterback James Street. The actor is the son of the quarterback, who died at age 65 two years ago.
“It was strange (watching Juston) because he resembles his father quite a bit,” Worster said. “It’s a shame James didn’t get to see it. He would have really appreciated it.”
Steinmark and Worster were in the same freshman class. In those days, freshmen were not allowed to play NCAA varsity ball. Colleges had freshman football teams.
Worster described the class as “outstanding” talent that held down the varsity when they moved up to sophomores in 1969. The legendary coach Darrell Royal is said to have designed the Wishbone-T offense to take advantage of Worster’s prowess as a fullback. “That’s what I read. He didn’t tell me,” Worster said.
Everyone on the team was from Texas, except for Steinmark and his roommate. Even though the young players had amazing talent, “everybody on there was just a bunch of little country bumpkins. Everyone was from a little town like Bridge City,” Worster said.
The team also went through a major change as it gelled. Bill Bradley, a senior, had started as quarterback for two years. He had been such an outstanding high school recruit that people called him “Super Bill.” After two games, he lost his starting quarterback position to James Street.
Worster said Bradley was a “phenomenal athlete” who showed “phenomenal character” when he stepped aside and even helped Street. Bradley talked Coach Royal into letting him play defensive back, a fortuitous move. Worster said Bradley went on to play professional ball and become an all-pro defensive back. The actor Donny Boaz plays Bradley in the film.
Steinmark had been playing with a pain in his leg for a couple of weeks before the Arkansas game, Worster recalled. He was being treated for a sprained ankle because the trainers assumed it was an injury.
During the Arkansas game, he had to come out. “His leg just snapped,” Worster said. The medical examinations showed a tumor on his leg. The biopsy proved it was cancer.
Actor Finn Wittrock portrays Steinmark in the movie and Sarah Bolger plays his girlfriend. Veteran actor Aaron Eckhart is Darrell Royal.
Worster is retired and has two grown children and four grandchildren. He plans to take them to see the movie.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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