Editor’s note: In the Colorado Classics series, The Denver Post takes a weekly look at individuals who made their mark on the Colorado sports landscape and what they are doing now.
From his view, Steve Zabel probably had more interest in last year’s Super Bowl, because in a 10-year NFL career, he played for the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots.
So there was some personal pride in Super Bowl XXXIX, which the Patriots won 24-21. But that doesn’t mean Zabel is oblivious to this year’s Super Bowl, the Seattle vs. Pittsburgh game Sunday.
Once a football player, always a football follower, and Zabel says to follow the defense when predicting who will win the Lombardi Trophy.
“I was very interested in last year’s game,” Zabel said. “I thought New England’s defense would be the biggest factor. I don’t think you can go wrong by thinking the team with the best defense will win.”
There are reasons Zabel, whose football roots started in north Denver 44 years ago and continued at Meritt Hutton (now Thornton) High School, is partial to the Patriots. There are times he doesn’t acknowledge his five seasons with Philadelphia (1970-74), when he sometimes took snaps at tight end and linebacker in the same game.
“When I played for the Eagles, I played for three different coaches in five years and played four different positions on the field between offense and defense,” Zabel said. “It wasn’t a good situation.”
New England was different. He made 48 starts at linebacker in his 50-game career with the Patriots and played with tight end Russ Francis, guard John Hannah, quarterback Steve Grogan and linebacker Steve Nelson.
Zabel, who will be 58 in March, was a college star at Oklahoma and recently looked back on his illustrious career from his home in Edmond, Okla.
His most recent stop was at tiny Curry College in Milton, Mass., where he was on the coaching staff for four years.
“It was a blast for me,” Zabel said. “If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t have waited so long to go into coaching. It was something new and exciting for me. It didn’t seem like a job.”
Even though he was some 1,800 miles from home, Zabel wasn’t alone at Curry College, coaching with Nelson.
“He was a terrific team player when we played for the Patriots,” Nelson said. “He taught me a lot about playing in the NFL. He played outside linebacker, and I played inside. We had to communicate really well to be able to play our best.”
A year ago, Zabel answered another calling and returned to Oklahoma full time. He replaced coaching by redirecting his time into charitable work that provides assistance to the homeless and to needy youngsters. He began work in that area in 1992. Zabel also is the president-elect of the “O” Club, the University of Oklahoma lettermen’s organization.
“I had other opportunities in coaching, and some were at the Division I level,” Zabel said, “but I sat down and thought through what I liked about it. At Curry College, I still could spend time at home. Coaching at Division I is a year-round job. My being away for a long time became a burden for everybody but me. I got it out of my system.”
Although his athletic roots began in the Young America League in north Denver, Zabel never was able to build a football home in Colorado.
He played football and basketball and also competed in track and field in high school, and won state high jump and pentathlon titles in 1966.
After high school, he had a chance to attend the Air Force Academy, but caught Oklahoma’s attention while at the New Mexico Military Institute.
Zabel played tight end and defensive end and punted for the Sooners during his 1968 junior season. Zabel was an All-America tight end in 1969 and was the first Big Eight player taken in the 1970 NFL draft when the Eagles picked him sixth in the first round.
“The University of Colorado wasn’t interested in me until after Oklahoma had contacted me,” Zabel said. “I had heard from Colorado State, but it wasn’t a strong interest.”
His Colorado connections followed him during the NFL. Zabel was in a team meeting with the Patriots in 1978 when Chuck Fairbanks announced he was leaving to become the football coach at CU. Red Miller was one of Zabel’s coaches in New England. Miller became the Broncos’ coach in 1977.
Zabel made Denver his offseason home in 1975, and joined the Broncos’ Billy Thompson, Lyle Alzado, Bob Swenson and Jack Dolbin in offseason workouts.
Zabel had some bumps in the road. He was suspended from competing in his last high school football games and for part of the basketball season his senior year for breaking team training rules. He also participated in a brief wildcat players’ strike at New England during the 1975 preseason.
But Zabel credits the influence of his mother, Myrle, and Max Willsey, his high school track coach, with keeping him headed in the right direction.
“He could do anything in track and field,” Willsey said. “He could win the high jump, win the high hurdles. He was the best all-around athlete I’ve seen.”
“I’ve always had a good heart,” Zabel said. “Everybody has to sit down and ask themselves what’s the real purpose in life. I think that those more fortunate should help the less fortunate.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
