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You may know Dave Stevens ’90

Newspaper prints from Dave Stevens playing football

You may know Dave Stevens ’90 from his time playing minor league baseball for the Saint Paul Saints or when he tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, or maybe you know Stevens from his seven National Sports Emmys, which he won while reporting with ESPN for over 20 years.

And there’s still an abundance of Stevens’s accolades that could be mentioned but few people know it started with his time as a football player at Augsburg. He was and still is the only congenital amputee to ever play NCAA football. Stevens was offered a scholarship to Augsburg after his story aired on ABC’s That’s Incredible! in 1981.

“I had a job opportunity at KSTP and a scholarship that Julian Foss provided for me to attend Augsburg, and I wanted to work in television,” Stevens said. “Covering sports at 19-years-old and in a market like Minnesota when the Metrodome had just been built was a big deal.”

But not long into his first year at Augsburg, Stevens got homesick. That, and the passing of a parent contributed to him moving back to his hometown in Arizona where he got a job and soon realized that his life wasn’t going in the direction he wanted. 

Luckily for Stevens he was given a second chance and a one-way ticket back to Minnesota when he asked his former benefactor if he could retain his scholarship and return to Augsburg, and in 1987, he was back to finish what he had started.

Stevens recalled long days in the classroom, on the field, and at work, getting off late evenings to meet up with friends for some affordable food and entertainment at the Cabooze before heading home to catch some sleep and doing it all again the next day.

“It was so awesome that this little Division III school gave me such a huge opportunity to play football and live my dream,” he said. “And to top it all off I had so many amazing professors, mentors, and resources that really helped me develop as a person and not just as a person with a disability.”

After his time at Augsburg, Stevens would go on to transition more into his career in television. He has covered NCAA Final Fours, World Series, and Super Bowls. Currently Stevens is an adjunct professor at the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, a motivational speaker, and works with a number of charitable foundations. One word that Stevens said is not in his vocabulary is “can’t”.Dave Stevens reporting on a football field.

He hopes to one day be inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame for his time at Augsburg and his contributions to the sport. Stevens said he appreciates the opportunity that Augsburg gave him and continues to give to all of its students.

“Augsburg is this amazing melting pot, and it helps you in the real world to realize there are other people out there who have different ideas, beliefs, and capabilities,” Stevens said. “It’s a school that I don’t think gets enough love for the reputation that it continues to maintain.”

Announcing an Augsburg Oral History Project

Postcard sent to alumni to confirm best contact information for this oral history project.
Postcard sent to alumni to confirm best contact information for this oral history project.

The Project

Every Auggie has a story, and Augsburg University wants to hear yours. So we’ve decided to embark on a new project called Auggie Memories to collect the stories of alumni like you in your own words. These stories will be preserved in a book that celebrates the impact Augsburg University has had on your lives and who you are today. Every year we don’t capture and preserve these stories feels like another opportunity lost, so we’re excited to get started today!

Have You Moved?

As part of this project, we are also taking this opportunity to help make it easier for you to stay connected to Augsburg. We are working with a company called PCI that will help us collect updated contact information from those of you who may have moved and inadvertently lost touch with Augsburg.

Your Story

So what Augsburg Memory will you tell?

  • Did a special faculty or staff member have a profound impact on your life?
  • Did you find your Auggie sweetheart at Augsburg?
  • Can you trace your career path back to a defining moment in class, on a team, or at an internship?
  • Have connections you made while you were a student turned into lifelong friendships?
  • Were you on campus during a historical moment?
  • Did members of your extended family attend or have other connections to Augsburg?

PCI Partnership

With our limited resources, we’d never be able to tackle a project like this. By partnering with PCI, we’re able to access their trained staff of real, live human beings who are excited to listen to what you have to share. PCI will also help collect and assemble the stories into the Auggie Memories book that we can share with all Auggies. Please note, we have only shared your contact information with PCI in conjunction with this project. We have NOT sold your contact information, or otherwise used it for outside marketing purposes.

Do I Have to Buy Something?

No. This project is being done at NO COST. The project is completely funded by the alumni who choose to purchase the Auggie Memories book that will be produced at the end of the project. Various book packages will be offered. PCI will also offer you the option to purchase other Augsburg branded merchandise such as a blanket and pullover. You are welcome to purchase these items, but you are not required to do so to participate in the project or order the Auggie Memories book. Again, we’d never be able to embark on a project like this without the support of our amazing alumni and the partnership with PCI. We sincerely thank every person that participates and chooses to purchase the book.

What’s Next?

Soon you will be receiving email and postcard communications from the PCI team with instructions on how to participate. We’d like to invite you to share one of your stories with us and take part in this first of its kind project to honor the experiences and voices of our alumni. The PCI team will collect stories until Friday, August 27, 2021. After that, they will enter a post-production phase editing the data. We hope to have the book distributed in early March 2022.

We look forward to hearing from each and every one of you regarding your memories.

What to Look For

You may see a postcard in the mail. This is an official postcard from Augsburg University, distributed by our partner PCI. Once you receive the postcard, please follow the instructions to update your information and set up an interview time to share your Auggie Memories.

You may also get an email from us in your inbox. Once you receive the email, please follow the instructions to update your information and set up an interview time to share your Auggie Memories. If you do not receive it, please take this opportunity to call PCI at 1-800-982-1590 and update your contact information so we can stay connected.

Contact Information

If you have any other questions regarding the project, please reach out to PCI customer service desk at 1-800-982-1590 or Senior Director of Advancement at Augsburg Kristen Cooper at cooperk@augsburg.edu.