Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive End
Years: 1966-1968
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, MN
Date of Birth: January 22, 1948
Jersey Number: 84
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
High School: St. Louis Park HS (St. Louis Park, MN)
The quintessential student-athlete at Minnesota, Bob Stein matched All-America honors on the field with NFF National Scholar-Athlete recognition. The NFF Veterans Committee selection becomes the 19th Golden Gopher player to join the College Football Hall of Fame.
A First Team All-America defensive end in 1967, Stein also garnered Walter Camp First Team All-America honors in 1968*. The two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection led Minnesota to a share of the 1967 conference title. The 1967 squad finished with a No. 14 ranking in the coaches poll after posting an 8-2 record that included a dominant win over fifth-ranked and Rose Bowl-bound Indiana. Although defensive stats were not recorded at the time, Stein is credited with five tackles for loss against Iowa in 1966, which rank as the second most in a single-game in the Golden Gophers record book. Also serving as the team's kicker, his 40-yard field goal in 1968 was a school record at the time, and he led the team in kicker scoring with 20 points in 1967.
An NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1968, Stein was a two-time Academic All-American and received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree was a semifinalist for a Rhodes Scholarship in 1968. Stein is enshrined in the University of Minnesota Sports, National Jewish Sports and St. Louis Park High School (MN) halls of fame.
A fifth-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969, Stein played four seasons for the franchise and helped the team win Super Bowl IV following his rookie season. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams (1973-74) before splitting the 1975 season between the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers.
While playing for the Chiefs, Stein graduated in the top 10% of his class from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. As the founding president and CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 1987-95, he helped secure the NBA franchise while developing a new arena and overseeing the team's charitable foundation. He currently works as an attorney at his own law firm in Minneapolis, Bob Stein LLC. A member of the NFF Minnesota Board of Directors, Stein previously served on the boards of the Children's Cancer Research Fund and the University of Minnesota National Alumni Association, among others.
* The Walter Camp All-America First Team was not recognized by the NCAA until 1972.
