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RICK STROM
Life Athletes® Biography
How high is your threshold of pain? As tough as you may be, one man could
give you a run for your money.
Rick Strom (NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers '89-'93, Buffalo '94-'95, Detroit
'96) has literally made a career out of pain and adversity. His
road to the pros was paved with injuries-- not to mention negative
expectations. Many times the conventional wisdom in the world of sports
said, "You'll never make it now." And who would have thought that he
would?!
Mom and Dad and coaches, for one, Rick says. While determination helped
Rick get through the pain of a broken femur in high school, his support
network definitely helped to keep his spirits up. Dad, who he
affectionately calls his "first coach", his high school coaches, and Mom
didn't let him down and say "you can't". So after sitting out his senior
year at Fox Chapel High School in Pittsburgh, Rick went on to play
quarterback at Georgia Tech in 1984-88.
Rick's pro career was an honest surprise, after sitting out his senior
year with a broken finger. This is a deadly injury for a quarterback.
NFL scouts passed over Rick in 1988, but in 1989 he landed a spot on the
roster for the Steelers, his hometown team! One of the highlights for
Rick was playing 3rd string quarterback in '91, '92, and '93.
Football is only one facet of Rick's talented personality. In college,
wearying cross-country travel on weekends with the Yellowjackets only
seemed to fuel his academic career ... Rick not only made it through
hundreds of accounting problems (math, math and more math) and business
presentations, but was honored as an Academic All-Atlantic Coast
Conference athlete in '86 and again in '87. He has a degree in
Management, but keep your eyes open to see what this newly-retired Life
Athlete does next. Today, Rick loves reading encyclicals (letters from
Pope John Paul II to the church and the world). This is heavy stuff, but
Rick can swallow the big words, and even has written, fittingly enough,
about "The Gospel of Life".
Rick has been a member of the Life Athletes® fellowship for six years. As
pro athletes, it is really powerful to stand up for the sacredness and
dignity of human life, he says. Loving life is an attitude with Rick. He
sits on the advisory board of his local Mom's House ( a center that helps
pregnant women). He is a sought-after speaker about respecting life, and
has made appearances in the U.S. and Canada. Rick and his wife have
three children.
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