Stephen Starring

{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Stephen Starring

| image = Stephen Starring 1987.jpg

| caption = Starring playing for the Patriots in 1984

| number = 81

| position = Wide receiver
Kick returner

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|07|30}}

| birth_place = Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 172

| high_school = Vinton (LA)

| college = McNeese State

| draftyear = 1983

| draftround = 3

| draftpick = 74

| pastteams =

• New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1983|1987}})
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1988}})
• Detroit Lions (1988)
• Los Angeles Raiders ({{NFL Year|1989}})*{{cite book |title=Raiders, 1989 Media Guide |page=86 |url=https://ia902707.us.archive.org/18/items/raiders-1989-media-guide-los-angeles-c/Raiders%2C%201989%20Media%20Guide%20%28Los%20Angeles%29%20%28C%29.pdf |access-date=5 July 2024}}

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 120

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 2,029

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 11

| pfr = StarSt00

}}

Stephen Dale Starring (born July 30, 1961){{Cite pro-football-reference|name=Stephen Starring|id=S/StarSt00|accessdate=December 2, 2018}} is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

After attending Vinton High School, Starring played quarterback for McNeese State University. He was MVP for the Cowboys football team at the 1980 Independence Bowl and 1980 Offensive Player of the Year of the Southland Conference (SLC), gaining 1,980 yards of total offense, including 974 rushing yards, a school record for rushing yards by a QB.{{cite web | url=https://mcneesesports.com/honors/hall-of-fame/steven-starring/110 | title=Steven Starring (2000) - Hall of Fame }} Starring finished his time at McNeese state with 3,083 passing yards (7th all time) and 1,906 rushing yards (12th). He also won three SLC track and field titles, two in the high hurdles and one in the long jump, and was named All-American for track and field.{{cite news|url=https://mcneesesports.com/hof.aspx?hof=110&mobile=skip|title=Steven Starring – Class of - Hall of Fame|publisher=McNeese State University|access-date=December 2, 2018}}

In 1984, Starring was drafted by the Patriots in the 3rd round of the NFL draft. He went on to play wide receiver for six seasons for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1986 he was the NFL's 7th leading kickoff returner with 1,012 kick return yards and went on to play in Super Bowl XX as a member of the Patriots, where he caught two passes for thirty-nine yards and returned 7 kickoffs for 153 yards.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XX - Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots - January 26th, 1986 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198601260chi.htm |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was inducted into the McNeese State University Hall of Fame in 2000. Starring finished his career with 120 receptions for 2,029 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 2,389 yards returning kickoffs.