Ernie Steele

Not to be confused with Ernie Steele, a character from the Backyard Sports video game series.

Ernie Steele

Steele on a 1948 Bowman football card
Personal information
Born:	(1917-11-02)November 2, 1917 Bothell, Washington, U.S.
Died:	October 16, 2006(2006-10-16) (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
Philadelphia Eagles (1942) "Steagles" (1943) Philadelphia Eagles (1944–1948)
Career highlights and awards
NFL champion (1948)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

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.

References

1. "1942 Pittsburgh Steelers". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
2. Raley, Dan (September 28, 2004). "Where Are They Now: Ernie Steele". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved May 22, 2019. Steele's fleet feet took him from Highline High School, where he was a highly decorated athlete in football, basketball and track, ...
3. "1999 Athletic Hall of Fame". Highline High School. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
4. "The Seattle Times: Steve Kelley: Ernie had city's first, and finest, sports joint". Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
5. "No Ferns in Sight as Ernie Steele's Becomes Ileen's".
6. Robert Ketcherside (December 18, 2016). "CHS Re:Take | The Julia's building, past to present". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Retrieved December 18, 2016.