Cliff Stoudt
Encyclopedia
Clifford Lewis Stoudt is a former American football
quarterback
for Youngstown State University
and the NFL
's Pittsburgh Steelers
. Drafted in the 5th round (121st overall) by the Steelers, Stoudt was the backup to Terry Bradshaw
from 1977-1982 before taking over as starter during Bradshaw's injury-plagued and final season in 1983.
Stoudt led the Steelers to a 9-2 start, but the team melted down late in the season. Steeler fans, accustomed to Terry Bradshaw's late game heroics, turned on Stoudt viciously. The Steelers managed to win the AFC Central with a 10-6 record and stumbled into the playoffs, but were quickly dispatched by the Los Angeles Raiders
.
After the 1983 season, Stoudt left Pittsburgh, signing with the Birmingham Stallions
of the USFL. During the season opening March 11, 1984 game http://cgi.ebay.com/USFL-Pittsburgh-maulers-1st-game-ticket-march-11-1984-/250779303826 against the Pittsburgh Maulers
at Three Rivers Stadium
, Stoudt was heckled and pelted with snow balls by the fans. It would turn out to be the only sellout in the one season history of the Pittsburgh Maulers
.
After two seasons in the USFL in which he was in the top 5 in passing with such stars as Jim Kelly
, Bobby Hebert
, and Chuck Fusina
, Stoudt returned to the NFL. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
and stayed with them through the 1988 season when they moved to Phoenix
. He spent his final NFL season with the Miami Dolphins
, appearing in three games and never attempting a pass. He currently lives in Dublin, Ohio. His son, Cole, is currently enrolled at Clemson University as a quarterback. His son, Zack, is currently enrolled at Ole Miss as a quarterback.
Key to Abbreviations
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
and the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Drafted in the 5th round (121st overall) by the Steelers, Stoudt was the backup to Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
from 1977-1982 before taking over as starter during Bradshaw's injury-plagued and final season in 1983.
Stoudt led the Steelers to a 9-2 start, but the team melted down late in the season. Steeler fans, accustomed to Terry Bradshaw's late game heroics, turned on Stoudt viciously. The Steelers managed to win the AFC Central with a 10-6 record and stumbled into the playoffs, but were quickly dispatched by the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
After the 1983 season, Stoudt left Pittsburgh, signing with the Birmingham Stallions
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...
of the USFL. During the season opening March 11, 1984 game http://cgi.ebay.com/USFL-Pittsburgh-maulers-1st-game-ticket-march-11-1984-/250779303826 against the Pittsburgh Maulers
Pittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh Maulers competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.They were...
at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
, Stoudt was heckled and pelted with snow balls by the fans. It would turn out to be the only sellout in the one season history of the Pittsburgh Maulers
Pittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh Maulers competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.They were...
.
After two seasons in the USFL in which he was in the top 5 in passing with such stars as Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, Bobby Hebert
Bobby Hebert
Bobby Joseph Hebert Jr., is an American sportscaster who is best known as a retired Pro bowl American football quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. He played professionally in the USFL and NFL from 1983 to 1996 for the Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons...
, and Chuck Fusina
Chuck Fusina
Charles Anthony Fusina is a former professional American football quarterback. He played in both the National Football League and United States Football League and was an All-American and Maxwell Award winner at Penn State University in 1978.-Professional football:At 6'1" 195-lb., Fusina was a...
, Stoudt returned to the NFL. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and stayed with them through the 1988 season when they moved to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He spent his final NFL season with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, appearing in three games and never attempting a pass. He currently lives in Dublin, Ohio. His son, Cole, is currently enrolled at Clemson University as a quarterback. His son, Zack, is currently enrolled at Ole Miss as a quarterback.
Career stats
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Com | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 60 | 32 | 53.3 | 493 | 2 | 2 | 78.0 |
| 1981 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 53.5 |
| 1982 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 35 | 14 | 40.0 | 154 | 0 | 5 | 14.2 |
| 1983 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | 381 | 197 | 51.7 | 2553 | 12 | 21 | 60.5 |
| NFL Pittsburgh Totals | |30 | 479 | 244 | 50.9 | 3217 | 14 | 28 | 58.0 | |
| 1984 | Birmingham Stallions | 18 | 366 | 212 | 57.9 | 3121 | 26 | 7 | 101.6 |
| 1985 | Birmingham Stallions | 18 | 444 | 266 | 59.9 | 3358 | 34 | 19 | 91.2 |
| USFL Regular season Career Totals |
|36 | 810 | 478 | 59.0 | 6479 | 60 | 26 | 95.9 |
Key to Abbreviations
- GP= Games Played
- Att= Passes attempted
- Com= Passes Completed
- Pct= Completion percentage
- Yds= Yards
- TD= TouchdownTouchdownA touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s - Int= Interceptions
- Rate= Passer ratingPasser ratingPasser rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...