"Big"
Bill Steers, a former University of Oregon star who
drop-kicked a 25-yd FG in the 1920 Rose Bowl against
Harvard, was living in The Dalles, Oregon when a job was
found for him in Portland, and coincidentally, a spot on
the Multnomah Athletic Club Winged M’s.
The
three time All-Pacific Coast player and 2nd Team
All-American was tasked with turning around a winless
team. He
became the team.
Scoring all 13 points in the season opener against
Whitman College, his stat column included a rushing TD,
kicked the PAT, followed by 43 and 47-yard field goals
in the win. The following week his foot provided
the PAT that tied the game with Oregon Ag College
(State) and kept a loss off the ledger. The next
three weeks facing Olympic Club, Gonzaga, and Camp Lewis
he was the star punter, added three rushing TDs, a
passing TD, seven PATs and a 20-yard dropkick to run the
Multnomah record to 4-0-1. His alma mater finally
broke through when the University of Oregon, including
some of his teammates from the Rose Bowl game, figured
out how to stop the MAAC after Bill drove the Winged M's
four times to the Oregon goal line in the fourth quarter
only to be stonewalled and kept from crossing the goal
line.
The
season finale was against the US Navy San
Francisco-based Pacific Fleet team being discussed as a
potential bowl game opponent for the likes of Penn State
and Nebraska. Bill ran for a touchdown, kicked the PAT
and drop-kicked a 15-yard field goal to end the Fleet's
bowl hopes in a 10-7 victory to cap a 5-1-1 season.
In
1921, Steers was directly responsible for 57 of
Multnomahs 96 points scored on the season.
Running, passing, kicking, punting and playing
defense, Steers was without question, the top dog of the
Northwest.
