Former Bills WR-SPEC Steve Tasker/democratandchronicle.com
Steve Tasker brought incredible speed, catching skills, and tackling along with his short but powerful 5’9″, 185 lb. body frame to the Buffalo Bills.
Tasker was a menace on special teams during the early 1990s, with four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl. He was a force to be reckoned with, so let’s examine how he became the “Wild Angel.”
Background: Steve Tasker “Wild Angel”
Born to parents Gordon and JoAnn Tasker in Smith Center, KS, Steven Jay Tasker grew up in Leoti, a tiny town with a population of 1,800 and located nearly thirty-five miles from the Colorado border. His father, Gordon, was a Methodist minister, and as his football career blossomed, Steve joined the church as a dedicated Christian.
As a Wichita County High School student, Tasker starred in football, basketball, and track for the Wichita County Indians. During his senior year, He auditioned for a radio career while still focusing on playing three sports.
College Days at North Western: Steve Tasker “Wild Angel”
Tasker took a circuitous route the minute he started playing college ball. Numerous recruiters labeled him too small to play at the Division I higher-level schools. Therefore, he took a scholarship to Dodge City Community College to stay close to home and work on his skills.
“My freshman year I weighed in at 147 pounds,” Tasker told Sports Illustrated in 1991. “That was fully clothed with my wallet and comb in my pocket.”
The coaching staff’s short-term answer was that Tasker should be on a strict strength training program so he could put some muscle weight on. As a long-term result, Tasker’s strength improved, and he became a wide receiver, kick returner, and placekicker wrapped up in a small but strong body. After two great JUCO seasons, Tasker transferred to Northwestern University and received a scholarship. He majored in communications there and roomed with Northwestern Wildcats punter John Kidd.
The irony here is that Tasker and Kidd would meet up later in the NFL in wintery Buffalo, NY, just some years later. After his last down in college football, Tasker tried rugby despite never having played. Nevertheless, the man who had never touched a rugby ball won the Big Ten College tournament MVP award.
Career in NFL
HOUSTON OILERS – (1985)
Tasker would eventually star for the Buffalo Bills, but the Houston Oilers originally drafted the multi-positioned player with the 226th pick in the 1985 NFL draft.
To say Tasker was in shock was an understatement. “I never dreamed of playing in the NFL,” Tasker told SI.com in 1991. “I knew I had the ability, but I didn’t know if I had the size and strength.”
If Tasker had known then, he would have become a successful, lighter, fast special-teams player for 13 years and a seven-time first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler. But his career got off to a challenging beginning. Injuries kept him out for 16 games in his first two seasons with the Oilers, and the team couldn’t get out of its way without him on the field.
After only winning an average of five games in 1985 and 1986, Houston released Tasker, and the Bills would sign him in the fall of 1986. It was a year earlier, though, that would reunite a tight ends coach with Tasker in Buffalo.
John Faragalli and the Oilers parted ways in 1985. In November 1986, Marv Levy hired Faragalli as his tight ends coach. In one of their team meetings, Levy had a poetic idea of improving the Bills on special teams. Faragalli had a light go off in his head that Tasker would be the perfect fit. Levy gave Faragalli his nod of approval, per the Bills’ official website.
BUFFALO BILLS – (1986)
Tasker and his wife Sarah hopped on a plane and arrived in Buffalo when they got the call to join the Bills organization. When Tasker arrived in Buffalo, Bills punter and former Northwestern Wildcats teammate John Kidd was there to pick him up and take him to his hotel to settle in. Later in the afternoon, they headed out for a team meeting.
Levy first taught the newly acquired Tasker how to block a punt. Tasker adapted to the drill well and blocked his first punt against the New England Patriots. Tasker made an endearing gesture at Levy, who nodded back. From that point on, Tasker knew Buffalo was meant to be. The Bills averaged six wins in the first two seasons with Tasker in Buffalo, but those growing pains turned into tall gains at the turn of the decade. In 1988, the Bills tied a then-franchise record with a (12-4) record. They lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game 21-10.
In 1989, the Bills took a step back, winning only nine games. However, this was still enough to win the AFC East. They fell to the number two seed Cleveland Browns 34-30 in the AFC Divisional Round. During that time, Tasker didn’t think returning to Buffalo was a reality. The organization didn’t protect him during the Plan B free agency period in 1988 and 1989.
Thinking his time with the Bills was up, he put his 16-acre farm home up for sale. By some miracle, the Bills protected him in free agency after the Bills lost to the Giants. Tasker played like a beast in the Bills’ run to their first of four straight Super Bowls. On October 7, 1990, he blocked a punt to end a doubtful comeback against the Los Angeles Raiders.
Steve Smith reeled in a four-yard-pass from Jay Schroeder to give the Raiders a 24-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. After scoring on a 42-yard touchdown catch, Tasker blocked Jeff Gossett’s punt. Defensive back James Williams picked up the loose ball and took it 38 yards for six. This was one of the most vital moments in Tasker’s tenure in the NFL.
New Perspective on Life
When the Bills lost the upsetting Super Bowl 20-19, Tasker’s view on life changed when he learned he was being protected.
“I always thought it was kind of silly to protect me,” Tasker told SI.com in 1991. “I don’t think I could be that valuable to a team.”
Tasker was very important to the team and stayed on for another seven seasons in Rich Stadium. Because of their time together in Buffalo, Levy called Tasker the “Wild Angel.” The coach knew that Tasker was a kind and polite man off the field, but when he suited up, he was a force on the field.
End of Career
In 1995, the Bills lacked depth in the wide receiver position. Levy decided to try Tasker as a receiver. On December 30, 1995, Tasker tallied 108 yards and a touchdown on five catches. The Bills beat the Miami Dolphins at home 37-22.
Tasker chose to retire two years later. He completed his football career with 204 special team tackles and seven blocked punts. The talented player is also the only special teams player in 2003 to earn Pro Bowl MVP honors. He has an incredible seven First-Team All-Pro and seven Pro Bowl berths.
Conclusion: Steve Tasker “Wild Angel”
Because of Tasker’s unique position in the NFL and his being the only special teams player to earn MVP honors, once he gets his gold jacket, it will show everyone that he deserves to be an MVP in the NFL.
