High School: Steve was a two-way player for Wheat Ridge High School, in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver, Colorado.  At both tight end and defensive end, Steve played during Wheat Ridge High's run of state championship teams during the late 1960s.

College: Graduated from the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado) in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Psychology.  Coached little league football for the City of Boulder during college years.