Steve Zabel

{{Short description|American football player (born 1948)}}

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

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Steve Zabel

| image =

| caption =

| position = Linebacker / Tight end

| number = 89, 54, 58

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|3|20}}

| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 235

| high_school = Thornton {{nowrap|(Thornton, Colorado)}}

| college = Oklahoma

| draftyear = 1970

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 6

| pastteams =

• Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1970}}–{{NFL Year|1974}})
• New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1975}}–{{NFL Year|1978}})
• Baltimore Colts ({{NFL Year|1979}})

| highlights =

• New England Patriots All-1970s Team
• Second-team All-American (1968)
• 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1968, 1969)

| statlabel1 = Interceptions

| statvalue1 = 6

| pfr = ZabeSt20

}}

Steven Gregory Zabel (born March 20, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and tight end in the National Football League (NFL).{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/courier-post/163682482/ | title=Zabel Man in Middle As Clock Ticks Away | work=Courier-Post | date=July 31, 1972 | accessdate=22 January 2025}} After playing college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft with the sixth overall pick.{{Cite web |title=Steve Zabel |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Z/ZabeSt20.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929184940/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Z/ZabeSt20.htm |archive-date=2022-09-29 |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

In his ten-year career, he played in 124 games while starting in 95 of them, having six interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries. He played 60 games for the Eagles, 49 for the New England Patriots, and 15 for the Colts. He was a member of the Patriots' 1970s All-Decade Team.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

He started parts of the 1970 and 1971 season as a tight end, having 10 total receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}