What can you say about this young man?
One of the greatest guys I've
ever known in my life. This
was a young guy that was clearly
made of the right stuff.
Pretty with just one
of those guys that don't
come along very often.
A loving son.
And devoted brother.
I said Freddy's the brother that.
Most. Most kids across the
world prayed for every night
and I was lucky enough to have.
Sammy didn't have him long enough.
Though Freddie was full of
grace in the face of tragedy.
No miracle would save his life.
In which he was just such
an exceptional person that.
When something like this happens to
somebody like that, you just go, why? It
is now been 50 years since Freddie
Steinmark died of cancer at the age of 22.
But even now, I mean we're talking
50 years later and I still
emotional about Friday.
A multi sport star at Wheat Ridge High
School Freddie was not tall in stature,
but what he could do physically
inspired everybody around him. Usually
the littlest guy on every
football team he played on and I
played on a lot of him with him.
But he always played bigger than
he was and he made everybody
else play bigger than they were.
I think in all of Freddie's years
of plan, he only competed in
seven losing games his whole life.
When our team won the championship,
we never we never could be
like what we just
never could. And the year that we
did it just all of a sudden which
became a different community.
Wheat Ridge would win back to back
championships and Freddie would win
the Golden Helmet Award as the best
football player in Colorado. For
a kid out of Wheat Ridge, Co.
And there were two wheat
Ridge kids that went.
Bobby Mitchell went to the University
of Texas as well and started.
But for two kids to come from,
we Ridge High School to go start for
Darrell Royal and the University of Texas.
That's that's a.
That's a pretty cool story.
Coach Royal made sure Freddie's
family knew his lasting impact.
He called me in his office and said
you'll never realize what Freddie meant
to this football program into this
staff and team in this university said.
He said he raised the bar for all of us. His
playing days ended in 1969's
game of the Century one versus
2 Texas versus Arkansas.
Despite a painful leg,
he helped the Longhorns win,
and while Texas would go
on to win a national title,
it was the last game for Steinmark
who would only days later be diagnosed
with osteosarcoma that pain in
his leg was a large bone tumor.
I understood how sick he was.
Especially when they they took his leg.
Arguably, one of the most important
Longhorns that's ever played.
They remember him very well.
They remember how courageous he was.
We've got a guy that we love a lot.
Ready here it is for you. It was one
of those moments that doesn't
happen very often and it was.
It was unbelievable to be a part of it.
I just thank God every day I had him.
To go through all that with him.
Freddy kept his faith
and his spirit. When you
learn to take the gifts God's giving you.
Develop him to the utmost.
To help other people.
That success.
Freddie Steinmark's legacy lives
on at the University of Texas.
And that we rich high school.
The Steinmark Award is given to a
student athlete who has excelled.
You know, I remember this time Mark.
Award ceremony there was in the
theater room that we reach high
school and his entire family was
there and it was humbling, right?
Because that was, you know,
that would have been like I don't know
3-4 years later so that, you know,
Freddie's memory was still really,
really fresh. And to be the first,
you know the first recipient
of an award that memorialized,
you know his accomplishments in his
life and the kind of person that he was.
It was pretty cool for me.
Not only not only would
receive the greatest guy.
Ever live? He's when it came to courage,
humility, and. And wisdom. The whole
world could learn a lot from Freddie.
His presence is still
felt down Steinmark Hall.
He was a young man who helped
transform a team, build a
community and inspire a nation.