Steve Largent
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| Steven Largent | |
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| In office November 29, 1994 – February 15, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Inhofe |
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| Succeeded by | John Sullivan |
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| Born | September 28, 1954 Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religion | Christian |
| Steve Largent | |
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| Position(s): Wide Receiver |
Jersey #(s): 80 |
| Born: September 28, 1954 Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1976–1989 | |
| NFL Draft: 1976 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | |
| College: Tulsa | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Receptions | 819 |
| Receiving Yards | 13,089 |
| Touchdowns | 101 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Steven Michael Largent, born September 28, 1954 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002. He made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002.
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[edit] Football career
Despite an All-American career at the University of Tulsa, Largent was not selected until the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. After four preseason games, he was slated to be cut, but was instead traded to the expansion Seattle Seahawks for a 1977 eighth-round pick.
Largent spent 13 years with the Seahawks, and, while not particularly fast, was extremely sure-handed. He was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl seven times, and was the first Seahawk to earn that honor. In 1982, Largent, along with teammate Jim Zorn, refused to participate in the NFL strike citing religious principles, specifically based on Matthew 5:36–37, stating that "your word is your bond" and that all contracts shall be honored as with God. That refusal came in the 3rd and final week of the strike, after both players first agreed to attend the strike with their teammates.
When Largent retired, he held all major NFL receiving records, including: most receptions in a career (819), most receiving yards in a career (13,089), and most touchdown receptions (100). He was also in possession of a then-record streak of 177 consecutive regular-season games with a reception.
Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1999, he was ranked number 46 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only Seahawk on the list.
His number (80) was retired in 1992; as of 2007 he is the only Seahawk to be so honored (although the team has retired number 12 in honor of the fans, the “twelfth man”). During Jerry Rice's stint with the Seahawks in 2004, Largent's number 80 was temporarily "unretired" with his approval (which was widely questioned), permitting Rice to continue to wear the number he had used for his entire career. Largent remains the most prolific receiver in team history.
[edit] Political career
Largent returned to Miamisburg in 1992, later moving to Tulsa.
In 1994, 1st District Congressman Jim Inhofe ran in a special election to succeed Senator David Boren.
Largent was appointed to the One Hundred Third Congress by the Governor of Oklahoma to fill the vacancy caused by Inhofe's resignation and subsequently elected to the One Hundred and Fourth Congress.[1] He took office November 29, 1994 and was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, never winning less than 60 percent of the vote in the heavily Republican Tulsa-based district.[2][3][4] He served until his resignation on February 15, 2002 to devote his attention to his gubernatorial campaign.
Like many of his colleagues of the Republican freshmen class elected in 1994 — when the Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years — Largent's voting record was very conservative. Largent was one of the "true believers" in that freshman class. He devoted most of his time to issues important to the conservative Christians.
One of his first bills was a "parental rights" bill that died in committee after it attracted opposition even from other Christian conservatives. Another one of his early bills would have abolished the federal tax code at the end of 2001, a measure that made Republicans appear fiscally irresponsible in the press. He opposed ending the 1996 federal government shutdown, and when it ended was one of the major players in an attempted coup against House Speaker Newt Gingrich. After the Republicans suffered heavy losses in the 1998 midterm elections, Largent was one of a group of Republican congressmen who drove Gingrich into retirement. He introduced a bill that would ban adoptions by gay and lesbian parents in Washington, D.C. He was criticized as anti-Catholic due to his line of questioning of a House of Representatives chaplain in 2000, though he defended his actions as not anti-Catholic.[5]
Largent himself tried to take advantage of discontent with Majority Leader Dick Armey by challenging Armey for the post. Armey was very unpopular in the Republican caucus, but managed to defeat Largent because Largent wasn't seen as a team player. However, the bruising contest all but ended Armey's chances of becoming Speaker.
Largent decided to run for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002. He easily won the Republican nomination and resigned his House seat to devote all his energy to the race. Initially seen as an overwhelming favorite against Democratic state senator Brad Henry, Largent lost a three-way race.
The surprise gubernatorial loss came as a result of three factors:[citation needed]
- the presence of a well-funded independent (a former Democrat) on the general election ballot;
- Henry's support of cockfighting, garnering a last minute endorsement by rural cockfighting interests who turned out in large numbers as the legality of cockfighting was on the ballot; and
- Largent's unfamiliarity with hostile press interviews, as he had been somewhat of a popular local celebrity in Tulsa. This led to what was perhaps his greatest misstep: swearing at an Oklahoma City television reporter who wanted to know where he was at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[citation needed] Largent's office released a statement as if it were from Largent; it was then learned that Largent had been on a hunting trip and didn't find out about the events of 9/11 until a day or so later.
Largent lost to Henry by just under 7,000 votes in the three-way race.
Largent is currently the President & CEO of the CTIA-The Wireless Association. CTIA is an international nonprofit membership organization founded in 1984, representing all sectors of wireless communications – cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio.
[edit] Electoral history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Stuart Price | 63,753 | 37% | Steve Largent | 107,085 | 63% | ||||||||
| 1996 | Randolph John Amen | 57,996 | 28% | Steve Largent | 143,415 | 68% | Karla Condray | Independent | 8,996 | 4% | ||||
| 1998 | Howard Plowman | 56,309 | 38% | Steve Largent | 91,031 | 62% | ||||||||
| 2000 | Dan Lowe | 58,493 | 29% | Steve Largent | 138,528 | 69% | Michael A. Clem | Libertarian | 2,984 | 1% |
[edit] References
- ^ LARGENT, Steve - Biographical Information
- ^ Current Election Results
- ^ General Election Results 11/3/98
- ^ General Election Results 11/7/00
- ^ Catholic Bashing? - TIME
- ^ Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
[edit] External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Seahawks Slide Show
- CTIA Bio Page
| Preceded by Jim Inhofe |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district November 29, 1994 – February 15, 2002 |
Succeeded by John Sullivan |
| Preceded by Dianne Baker Junior Bridgeman Pat Haden Lisa Rosenblum John Dickson Stufflebeem John Trembley |
Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) Class of 2001 alongside: Alpha V. Alexander Archie Griffin Steve Raible Lee Roy Selmon Wally Walker |
Succeeded by Richard C. Chapman Maurice "Bo" Ellis Herman Frazier Betsy King John Naber Rodney E. Slater |
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