ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Steven Steele is a safety for the UNM Football team. The junior lettered last season after getting good playing time on special teams, but Steele’s story to getting out on the field at University Stadium is not the typical.
Steven played his high school ball at Cleveland High School, and straight out of high school Steele decided to accept a scholarship to play at Eastern New Mexico University. Earning a scholarship to play the sport you love is a big accomplishment, but Steele wanted more.
“You know I just always wanted to play D1 and just never wanted to live with that what if feeling that I had in my stomach, and the University of New Mexico, I felt was going to give me my best opportunity. I saw when the walk on tryout was and I made the big decision and talked to my parents to make that move,” said Steven Steele.
Dropping everything to come and walk on at UNM was a high risk decision, but with high risk comes high reward and for Steele — that’s how it is playing out.
“I mean that was really hard it took a lot of thought. I mean, I was obviously already playing, I had a scholarship, and do I want to give that up and come over here and possibly never see the field? But I knew I could play with these guys, and when I actually got to carry out the New Mexico flag, and be the New Mexico man — it was at that moment when I took out that flag and carried it out there and had all the fans screaming, that I knew I made the right decision,” said Steele.
UNM Spring Practices continue on Monday and are open to the public.