Steve Preece Steven Packer " Steve " Preece ( born February 15 , 1947 ) is a former professional football player , a defensive back in the NFL for 9 seasons , from 1969 to 1977 . He played his college football at Oregon State , where he was a successful option quarterback . Early life . Born in Idaho Falls , Preece grew up in Boise and played high school football at Borah High for legendary coach Ed Troxel , also his coach in track . At the talent - rich program , Preece had to wait his turn to play . Opened in 1958 , Borah had won or tied for the conference title and mythical state title ( writers ' poll ) in each of its first six years . Preece became the Lions ' starting quarterback during his senior year in the fall of 1964 . The Borah Lions were undefeated entering the final game against rival Boise on Veterans Day , but allowed the Braves to overcome a ten - point deficit in the second half to gain their first win in seven tries over Borah , and the Lions had to settle for second place for the first time in the conference and final state poll . College career . After graduating in 1965 , Preece accepted a scholarship to Oregon State , recruited by linebackers coach Ed Knecht . Knecht had previously been the head coach at rival Boise High , and had connections in southwestern Idaho . Preece had great speed ( 10 . 0 in the 100 yard dash ) , and a good arm , a great fit for the option offense . Knecht had received a phone call warning him that a rival school was attempting to steal Preece away from the Beavers , so he promptly called new head coach Dee Andros with the news , to which Andros responded , " Get the $ @ % ! over there . And if you don ' t get him , don ' t bother to come back . " ( Andros was previously the head coach at the University of Idaho . Knecht was a former assistant coach at Idaho and a future athletic director ( 1969 – 74 ) . ) As a sophomore in 1966 , Preece split time as the starting quarterback with senior Paul Brothers . After Brothers ' graduation , Preece was the starter for the 1967 and 1968 seasons , and the Beavers compiled a 14 - 5 - 1 record ( . 725 ) . Included in this success was a win and a tie against UCLA , and a split with USC and O . J . Simpson . The Beavers won 3 - 0 in 1967 , the Trojans won 17 - 13 in 1968 in Los Angeles . The 1967 OSU football team finished with a record of 7 - 2 - 1 and a # 7 ranking in the AP national poll . OSU defeated previous # 1 USC in Corvallis , and # 2 Purdue on the road , and tied # 2 UCLA in Los Angeles , earning them the title of " The Giant Killers . " OSU also beat the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road , but a mid - season lapse of consecutive losses to unranked teams severely damaged the Beavers ' Rose Bowl chances and national ranking . OSU lost to the Washington Huskies in Seattle and BYU Cougars in Corvallis . Although OSU defeated USC , the Beavers wound up behind in the Pac - 8 conference standings with a loss and a tie , USC defeated Indiana 14 - 3 in the Rose Bowl and was crowned national champion for the 1967 season . Oregon State did not play in a bowl game , due to conference rules . The 1968 Oregon State team would go 7 - 3 , and finish # 15 in the nation . Professional career . Undrafted , Steve Preece signed a free agent NFL contract with the New Orleans Saints in 1969 , not as a quarterback but as a defensive back . He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 1970 season , staying through 1971 , and playing one game for them in 1972 before being traded to the Denver Broncos . In 1973 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams , where he would play for four seasons , the last two as a back - up , the only time in his career . He played his last season in 1977 as a starter for the Seattle Seahawks , and had four interceptions . Following off - season surgery on his left knee , Preece announced his retirement in July 1978 . As a pro , Preece played a role similar to Nolan Cromwell , a defensive back who held for place kicks and was available to play quarterback in an emergency ; both had been option quarterbacks in college . After football . Preece is in the real estate business in Portland and regularly provides color commentary for the Oregon State football broadcasts .