 Steele on a 1948 Bowman football card | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | November 2, 1917 Bothell, Washington, U.S. |
| Died: | October 16, 2006 (aged 88) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Burien (WA) Highline |
| College: | Washington |
| Position: | Running back |
| NFL Draft: | 1942 / Round: 10 / Pick: 81 (by the Pittsburgh Steelers)[1] |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
Ernest Raymond Steele (November 2, 1917 – October 16, 2006) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, and the "Steagles", a team that resulted in the temporary merger of the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers in 1943. A graduate of Highline High School in Burien, Washington[2] (which made him a charter member of its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999),[3] he played college football at the University of Washington and was drafted in the tenth round of the 1942 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[1]
He played in two NFL championship games for the Philadelphia Eagles.
After ending his football career, Steele opened a diner and sports bar in Seattle, named "Ernie Steele's." It became a landmark and operated under that name until he sold it in 1993.[4] After the sale it was known for eight years as Ileen's Sports Bar, but the back was called "The Ernie Room."[5] Since 2001, it has been a drag bar called Julia's.[6]
Steele died in Seattle, Washington, on October 16, 2006.
