Early Life and Playing Career
Stoops is one of six children born to Ron, Sr. and Evelyn "Dee Dee" Stoops in Youngstown, Ohio. He attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where his father was an assistant football coach and defensive coordinator.
After high school Stoops played for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes (1982–1984) as a strong safety. He played on the same team with quarterback Chuck Long and was a two-time all-Big Ten Conference selection.
Stoops was signed as a free agent in May 1985 by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), but was cut on August 27. In February 1986 he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons, but he missed the Falcons May 9–15 minicamp with a ruptured gall bladder from an auto accident and was later cut by Atlanta.
In the summer of 1987, Stoops became one of the original 80 Arena Football League (AFL) players when he suited up for the Pittsburgh Gladiators. Stoops was a key member of the Gladiators that season who went onto play in the inaugural ArenaBowl, losing to Denver, 45–16.
Stoops took time off from his job as a graduate assistant at Iowa to play as a replacement player for a limited time in 1987 with the Chicago Bears during the NFL strike. Wearing #44, he played safety in three games with the Bears that year, suffering a concussion in the an October 4 victory (35–3) against the Philadelphia Eagles. Other former Iowa players who were members of the National Football League Players Association had harsh words for Stoops. He responded, "I don't give a damn what they think. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody, and deep down, I think they know that. But if they feel that way, fine, don't ever talk to me again".
Returning to the Arena League, in the six-game AFL regular season, Stoops caught 22 passes, scored three touchdowns, made 15 tackles and recorded an interception, playing both wide receiver and defensive back positions.
Read more about this topic: Mike Stoops
Famous quotes containing the words early, life, playing and/or career:
“Men and women are not born inconstant: they are made so by their early amorous experiences.”
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967)
“The work of adult life is not easy. As in childhood, each step presents not only new tasks of development but requires a letting go of the techniques that worked before. With each passage some magic must be given up, some cherished illusion of safety and comfortably familiar sense of self must be cast off, to allow for the greater expansion of our distinctiveness.”
—Gail Sheehy (20th century)
“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)