:Joey Sternaman
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1900–1988)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Joey Sternaman
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| number = 8, 4
| position = Quarterback
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|2|1}}
| birth_place = Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1988|3|10|1900|2|1}}
| death_place = Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 6
| weight_lbs = 152
| high_school = Springfield
| college = Illinois
| pastteams=
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1922}})
- Duluth Kelleys ({{NFL Year|1923}})
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1924}}–{{NFL Year|1925}})
- Chicago Bulls (1926)
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1927}}–{{NFL Year|1930}})
| pastcoaching=
- Duluth Kelleys ({{NFL Year|1923}})
Head coach - Chicago Bulls (1926)
Head coach
|highlights =
- 2× First-team All-Pro (1924-1925)
- 100 greatest Bears of All-Time
| pfr = SterJo21
| pfrcoach = SterJo0
}}
Joseph Theodore Sternaman (February 1, 1900 – March 10, 1988) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for eight seasons for the Chicago Bears and Duluth Kelleys of the National Football League (NFL). At 5'6" and 135 pounds he was called "the strongest little man I ever met" by sportswriter Grantland Rice.The Glory Days, by Zach Shields, Decatur Magazine, August/September 2014, pgs. 59-60 He played quarterback during the years Red Grange starred with the Bears. In 1926, he was the quarterback, head coach, and owner of the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League (AFL).
Biography
File:Sternaman-Joe-291013.jpg and the body-blocking Bill Senn to neutralize a Buffalo Bisons end, October 1929.]]
Joe Sternaman was born in Springfield, Illinois on February 1, 1900. He attended Springfield High School, where he was a star athlete in three sports, earning athletic letters in football for three seasons — in two of which he earned All-State honors, playing guard on the basketball team, and running for the school track and field squad.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-review-hard-blow-for-springfie/162519652/ "Hard Blow for Springfield Team: Loses Two Players, Sternaman and Styles,"] Decatur Review, Feb. 6, 1919, p. 5. He graduated from SHS in the spring of 1919.
His older brother, E.C. "Dutch" Sternaman, was a star halfback for the University of Illinois who was drafted into World War I in May 1918, just prior to assuming captaincy of the 1918 Illinois Fighting Illini football team for his senior season,[https://www.newspapers.com/article/jg-tc-journal-gazette-and-times-courier/162521090/ "Sternaman of Illini is Called to Colors,"] Mattoon Daily Journal-Gazette, May 20, 1918, p. 6. and would later become a co-owner of the Chicago Bears with his former Illinois teammate, George Halas.David S. Neft, Richard M. Cohen, and Rick Korch, The Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of Professional Football, From 1892 to the Present. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994; p. ???.
Unsurprisingly, Joe followed in his older brother's footsteps, enrolling at Illinois to play for the team's legendary coach Bob Zuppke, where his brother again played halfback for the varsity squad in 1919.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-illini-varsity-will-battle-fro/162523473/ "Varsity Will Battle Frosh in Real Game: First Regular Combat Will Start at 4 o'clock This Afternoon,"] Daily Illini, Oct. 4, 1919, p. 3. Joe earned a letter in 1919 as quarterback of the Illinois freshman football team and looked to join the varsity for the coming season.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-champaign-daily-gazette-sweaters-for/162535109/ "Sweaters for Freshman,"] Champaign Daily Gazette, Nov. 21, 1919, p. 7.
References
{{Reflist|35em}}
{{Chicago Bears starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback navbox}}
{{Chicago Bulls (AFL)}}
{{Duluth Kelleys coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sternaman, Joey}}
Category:Chicago Bears players
Category:Duluth Kelleys players
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players
Category:Players of American football from Springfield, Illinois