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Steve Dils

b. 1955

American football player

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About Steve Dils

Born 1955. Steve Dils is an American american football player.

Stephen Whitfield Dils (born December 8, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal.

College career Dils played high school football at Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, Washington, and attended Stanford University. He was Stanford's starting quarterback under Bill Walsh in 1978, and led Stanford to a 25–22 victory over Georgia in the 1978 Bluebonnet Bowl, where he was named the game's offensive most valuable player. That season, Dils won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, awarded to the top passer in college football.

College statistics Legend Led the Pac-8/Pac-10 Led the NCAA Bold Career high

+College passing statistics* 1977 Stanford 11 27 42 335 64.3 1 0 139.1 1978 Stanford 11 247 391 2,943 63.2 22 15 137.3 Career 22 274 433 3,278 63.3% 23 15 137.5 Includes bowl games.

NFL career Dils was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL draft. In his second year with the club, he made his first start filling in for an injured Tommy Kramer and led the Vikings to a win over the Washington Redskins, a game which proved crucial to Minnesota's playoff run that year. He played six seasons with the Vikings and started most of the 1983 season, where he was paired in the backfield with former Stanford teammate Darrin Nelson. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. He spent his final full season with the Atlanta Falcons before retiring with the Rams before the 1989 regular season began.

Chris Berman bestowed one of his more labored nicknames—Steve "Love the One You're With" Dils—based on the player's vague similarity in name to Stephen Stills.

After football Dils is currently the managing director of the Canadian commercial real estate company Avison Young's Atlanta office.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Stanford University, Fort Vancouver High School
Also known as
Stephen Whitfield Dils

People in Steve Dils's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Steve Dils's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Steve Dils?

American football player

When was Steve Dils born?

Steve Dils was born on 8 December 1955 in Seattle.

What is Steve Dils's occupation?

Steve Dils is an american football player.

What nationality is Steve Dils?

Steve Dils is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Steve Dils

· Wikidata: Q7612398

· DBpedia: Steve Dils

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Steve Dils. https://biography.guide/steve-dils/

MLA: "Steve Dils." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/steve-dils/.

Chicago: "Steve Dils." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/steve-dils/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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