Aleksandar Stepanovich ( ; born September 25, 1981) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was selected by the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

in the fourth round of the

2004 NFL draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held from April 24–25, 2004, at the Theate ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...

. Stepanovich has also played for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

, and

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

Early life

In 2000, Stepanovich graduated from

Berea High School Berea High School (BHS) was a high school located in Berea, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1882 and served students in grades nine through 12. Its most recent campus, located immediately east of Baldwin Wallace University, was built in ...

Berea, Ohio Berea ( ) is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,545 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A western suburb of Cleveland, it is a part of the Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropolitan area. Berea is home ...

. A gifted athlete who's drive made him one of the best offensive lineman in the country during his junior and senior years, Stepanovich made numerous All-American teams along with being well decorated with numerous awards as a high school football player. He was also an accomplished

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

in high school, winning the heavyweight state championship in 2000 and runner-up in 1999. He was a nationally ranked wrestler throughout high school, with multiple MVP's in national and state tournaments, along with two Pioneer Conference MVP's. He was also known for his generosity to helping the youth in his area. Stepanovich's legacy will be forever etched in Ohio with multiple Life Achievement awards for sports and giving back to his community. In Oct. 2023 the Ohio Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted Stepanovich into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma as its unanimous selection as its "Outstanding American".

College career

Well respected amongst his teammates, known for his work ethic and toughness, regarded as one of the top centers in

during 2001 and 2002 at The Ohio State University, he shifted to

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in his senior campaign and started 26 games during his college football career and was an All-Big Ten and All-American performer. A four-year lettermen while at OSU, his career culminated with a Buckeye tree being planted in his honor in Buckeye Grove joining all other first-team All-Americans at OSU.

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the

and Stepanovich moved into the

starting lineup In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as ''starters'', whereas the others are substitutes or b ...

.Arizona Cardinals bio
He started every game for the Cardinals in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

without missing a single offensive snap and made several All-Rookie teams, along with being the first rookie center in franchise history to start all 16 games. He continued as a starter for much of 2005 and 2006 before going on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

. The Cardinals elected not to tender him an offer for 2007, making him an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

Cincinnati Bengals

In March, the

signed Stepanovich to a one-year deal for 2007. He played in all 16 games and started 5.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 10, 2008, Stepanovich was signed by the

to a three-year deal. He was released on June 17, 2009.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Stepanovich signed with the

on August 10, 2009. He was

waived A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. A waiver is often written, such as a disclaimer that has been accepted, but it may also be spoken between two or more parties. When the right to hold a p ...

on August 31. Injuries forced his time in Pittsburgh and career short.

References

External links

Arizona Cardinals bioPittsburgh Steelers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stepanovich, Alex 1981 births Living people American football centers American people of Serbian descent Arizona Cardinals players Atlanta Falcons players Cincinnati Bengals players Hartford Colonials players Ohio State Buckeyes football players People from Berea, Ohio Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Cuyahoga County, Ohio