Stephen Starring

Stephen Dale Starring (July 30, 1961 – October 18, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the McNeese State Cowboys.

Biography Starring was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Starring finished his time at McNeese state with 3,083 passing yards (7th all time) and 1,906 rushing yards (12th). He also won three SLC track and field titles, two in the high hurdles and one in the long jump, and was named All-American for track and field.

In 1983, Starring was selected 74th overall by the Patriots in the third round of the NFL draft. He went on to play wide receiver for six seasons for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 1985 he was the NFL's seventh leading kickoff returner with 1,012 kick return yards and went on to play in Super Bowl XX as a member of the Patriots, where he caught two passes for 39 yards and returned seven kickoffs for 153 yards. He was inducted into the McNeese State University Hall of Fame in 2000.