Steve Largent

Steve Largent
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 1st district
In office November 29, 1994 – February 15, 2002
Preceded by	Jim Inhofe
Succeeded by	John Sullivan
Personal details
Born	(1954-09-28) September 28, 1954 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Terry Largent
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Tulsa (BS)
Football career
No. 80
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	187 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school:	Putnam City (OK)
College:	Tulsa
NFL Draft:	1976 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117
Career history
• Houston Oilers (1976)*  • Seattle Seahawks (1976–1989)
Career highlights and awards
• 7x Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1981, 1984–1987)  • 3× First-team All-Pro (1983, 1985 1987)  • 4× Second-team All-Pro (1978, 1979, 1984, 1986)  • Payton NFL Man of the Year (1988)  • 2× NFL receiving yards leader (1979, 1985)  • NFL 1980s All-Decade Team  • Seahawks Ring of Honor  • Seattle Seahawks No. 80 retired
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 819 Receiving yards: 13,089 Touchdowns: 100
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Stephen Michael "Steve" Largent (born September 28, 1954) is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former Republican politician, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma, from 1994 until 2002. Prior to his political career, Largent was a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League for his entire 14-season professional football career. He held several all-time receiving records when he retired.

Football career

Banners of Largent and the 12th Man hang over CenturyLink Field.

In 1974 at Tulsa, he had 884 yards receiving and 14 TD catches. In 1975, he had 51 catches for 1,000 yards and 14 TD catches.

Despite an All-American career at the University of Tulsa, Largent was not selected until the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers (117th pick). After four preseason games, he was slated to be cut, but was instead traded to the expansion Seattle Seahawks for a 1977 eighth-round pick.

Largent spent fourteen years with the Seahawks, and, while not particularly fast, was extremely sure-handed. He was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl seven times, and was the first Seahawk to earn that honor. In 1982, Largent, along with teammate Jim Zorn, ended his participation in the NFL strike, after the third and final week of the strike, citing Christian principles, specifically based on Matthew 5:36–37, stating that "your word is your bond" and that all contracts shall be honored as with God.

In 1989, Steve Largent became the first Seahawks player to win the Steve Largent Award for his spirit, dedication and integrity.^[1]

When Largent retired, he held all major NFL receiving records, including: most receptions in a career (819), most receiving yards in a career (13,089), and most touchdown receptions (100). He was also in possession of a then-record streak of 177 consecutive regular-season games with a reception. He also holds the distinction as the first receiver in NFL history to achieve 100 touchdown receptions in his career.

Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he was ranked number 46 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only Seahawk on the list.

His number (80) was retired in 1992; Largent is the first Seahawk player to be so honored (the team has retired number 12 in honor of the fans, the "twelfth man", the number 71 for offensive tackle Walter Jones, on December 5, 2010,^[2] and the number 96 for defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy on October 14, 2012.)^[3] During Jerry Rice's stint with the Seahawks in 2004, Largent's number 80 was temporarily "unretired" after a conversation between Rice and Largent that was reportedly initiated by then Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt.^[4] Largent remains the most prolific receiver in team history. On October 26, 2008 Largent's University of Tulsa number (83) was also retired.^[5]

Career receiving statistics

^[6]

Political career

In 1994, Oklahoma's 1st District Congressman Jim Inhofe resigned to run in a special election to succeed Senator David Boren. Largent won the election to succeed Inhofe in Congress; pursuant to an Oklahoma statute, Governor David Walters designated the special election in which Largent was elected to serve the remainder of Inhofe's term in the 103rd Congress before beginning his term in the 104th Congress.^[7][8]

Largent took office on November 29, 1994 and was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, never winning less than 60 percent of the vote in the heavily Republican Tulsa-based district.^[9][10][11]

Like many in the Republican freshman class elected in 1994, when the Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years, Largent's voting record was solidly conservative. Largent was one of the "true believers" in that freshman class, devoting most of his time to issues important to the conservative Christians.

One of his first bills was a "parental rights" bill that died in committee after it attracted opposition even from other Christian conservatives. Another of his bills would have abolished the federal tax code at the end of 2001. He opposed ending the 1995 federal government shutdown and played a role in the failed attempt to oust Newt Gingrich as Speaker. Largent introduced a bill that would ban adoptions by gay and lesbian parents in Washington, D.C.

He was criticized as anti-Catholic due to his line of questioning of a House of Representatives chaplain in 2000, though he denied this.^[12]

After the Republicans lost 5 seats in the 1998 midterm elections, Largent tried to take advantage of discontent with Majority Leader Dick Armey by challenging Armey for the post. Although Armey was not popular in the Republican caucus, Largent was thought to be far too conservative for the liking of some moderate Republicans, and Armey won on the third ballot.^[13] However, when Bob Livingston of Louisiana stood down as Speaker-elect, Armey was still too wounded to make a bid for the job.

Largent decided to run for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002. He easily won the Republican nomination and resigned his House seat on February 15 to devote his energy to the race. Initially seen as an overwhelming favorite against Democratic state senator Brad Henry, Largent lost to Henry by just under 7,000 votes.

Largent's loss has been attributed by analysts to factors that included:

• The presence of a well-funded independent (Gary Richardson, a former Republican) on the general election ballot;^[14]
• Henry's support of cockfighting, garnering a last minute endorsement by rural cockfighting interests that turned out in large numbers in the election in which the legality of cockfighting was on the ballot;^[14][15][16]
• Largent used a vulgarity, "bullshit" in response to an Oklahoma City television reporter who repeatedly asked where he was at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Largent had been on a hunting trip and did not know about the attacks until then.^[15][17]

Post-political career

Largent became President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association in November 2003 until May 2014. CTIA is an international nonprofit membership organization founded in 1984, representing all sectors of wireless communications: cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio.^[18][19]

Personal life

People magazine named Largent to its 1996 list of "Most Beautiful People".^[20]

Largent has a son Kramer James (b. November 11, 1985) with spina bifida. He and his wife Terry also had three more children, sons Kyle and Kelly and daughter Casie.^[21]

Electoral history

References

External links

• Steve Largent at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com • Pro-Football-Reference • Databasefootball.com
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma
1st district	McGuire Davenport Chandler Howard Chandler Howard Montgomery Howard O'Connor Disney Schwabe Gilmer Schwabe Belcher Jones Inhofe Largent Sullivan Bridenstine
2nd district	Fulton Morgan Hastings Robertson Hastings Nichols Stigler Edmondson McSpadden Risenhoover Synar Coburn Carson D. Boren Mullin
3rd district	Davenport Creager Davenport Carter Cartwright Stewart Albert Watkins Brewster Watkins Lucas
4th district	Carter Murray McKeown Pringey McKeown Gassaway L. Boren G. Johnson Steed McCurdy Watts Cole
5th district	Ferris Thompson Harreld Swank Stone Swank Lee Hill G. Smith Monroney Jarman Edwards Istook Fallin Lankford Russell
6th district	Ferris Gensman Thomas Johnson, Sr. Morris Wickersham Morris Wickersham Johnson, Jr. J. Smith Camp English Lucas
7th district	McClintic Massingale Wickersham Peden Wickersham
8th district	Morgan Swindall Herrick Garber Marland Ferguson Rizley Wilson Belcher
At-large	Murray  Thompson Weaver Rogers
Territory	Harvey Flynn Callahan Flynn McGuire