Steve Bono
Encyclopedia
Steven Christopher Bono (ˈboʊnoʊ; born May 11, 1962 in Norristown, Pennsylvania
) is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
.
. As a Bruins
quarterback, Bono posted collegiate career
numbers of 177 completions
in 315 attempts. Bono also earned a varsity letter
in baseball as the team's catcher
.
in the 1985 NFL Draft
. He was the third quarterback selected in the draft behind Randall Cunningham
and Frank Reich
.
In his first two seasons with the Vikings (1985
-1986
), Bono appeared in two games. He spent both seasons third on the depth chart
behind starter
Tommy Kramer
and his backup Wade Wilson. At the end of the 1986 season, the Vikings placed Bono on waivers
. He then signed as a free agent
with the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Bono appeared in five games over two seasons with the Steelers (1987
-1988
). He made his first NFL start on October 4, 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons
. After the 1988 season, the Steelers allowed Bono to become a free agent.
On June 13, 1989, Bono signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers
where he remained for five seasons (1989
-1993
), his longest stay with one team in his career. Bono spent the 1989 and 1990 season
s as the 49ers' third-string quarterback behind Joe Montana
and Steve Young. In 1991
, with Montana lost for the season, and Steve Young injured mid-season, Bono started six games. He went 5-1 as a starter and finished the season fourth in passer rating behind Young, Jim Kelly
, and Mark Rypien
. Bono returned to his backup role behind Young in 1992
and 1993
.
Prior to the 1994 season
, the 49ers traded Bono to the Kansas City Chiefs
, where once again he served as a backup to Joe Montana
. He was met with some criticism after reporting that "the worst restaurant in San Francisco is better than the best one in Kansas City." After Joe Montana retired, Bono became the starting quarterback in 1995
. On October 1, 1995, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
, Bono ran 76 yards for a touchdown
, the longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history up to that time. In the same season, he guided the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and a division title. At season's end, he was selected for the AFC
Pro Bowl
team. Bono remained the Chiefs starter throughout the 1996 season
.
In 1997, Kansas City opted to hand the starting QB role to Elvis Grbac
and released Bono. He signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers
to back up Brett Favre
. Bono spent 1998
with the St. Louis Rams
, battling with then-starting QB Tony Banks
for playing time, and 1999
backing up Carolina Panthers
starting quarterback Steve Beuerlein
.
. His son, Christoph, was the quarterback for the Palo Alto High School's football team and is now a quarterback for the University of California, Los Angeles
Bruins football team. He has a brother, Todd Bono, who is currently a phys ed teacher at West Frederick Middle School in Frederick, MD. An avid golf
er, Bono held an annual golf event in the San Francisco area benefiting the National Kidney Foundation
. Bono also played in the 1993 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament, one of the most prestigious pro-am events in the United States
.
Bono now works for Constellation Wealth Advisors, an independent firm in Menlo Park, CA.
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Collegiate career
Bono attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociologySociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. As a Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
quarterback, Bono posted collegiate career
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
numbers of 177 completions
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
in 315 attempts. Bono also earned a varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in baseball as the team's catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
.
NFL career
Bono was selected by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in the 1985 NFL Draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
. He was the third quarterback selected in the draft behind Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
and Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
.
In his first two seasons with the Vikings (1985
1985 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-25 year team:The team recognized an all-time team in 1985 as part of the celebration of the 25th season VIKINGS 25TH SEASON ALL-TIME TEAM 1961-85 *OFFENSE*WRs: Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White*Ts: Ron Yary, Grady Alderman*Gs: Ed White, Milt Sunde...
-1986
1986 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:-References:* *...
), Bono appeared in two games. He spent both seasons third on the depth chart
Depth chart
In sports, a depth chart is used to show the placements of the starting players and the secondary players. Generally a starting player will be listed first or on top while a back-up will be listed below...
behind starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
Tommy Kramer
Tommy Kramer
Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990...
and his backup Wade Wilson. At the end of the 1986 season, the Vikings placed Bono on waivers
Waivers (American football)
Waivers is a National Football League labor management procedure by which a team makes an American football player contract or NFL rights available to all other teams...
. He then signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Bono appeared in five games over two seasons with the Steelers (1987
1987 Pittsburgh Steelers season
- Schedule :- Week 1 : vs. San Francisco 49ers :at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT* Game weather:* Game attendance: 55,735* Referee: Gordon McCarter...
-1988
1988 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers began the season with the death of Hall of Fame team founder & owner Art Rooney at age 87 less than two weeks before the start of the season...
). He made his first NFL start on October 4, 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After the 1988 season, the Steelers allowed Bono to become a free agent.
On June 13, 1989, Bono signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
where he remained for five seasons (1989
1989 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers 1989 season was their 44th season in the National Football League. Joe Montana and the 49ers franchise cemented their reputation as the best team of the decade...
-1993
1993 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1993 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 44th year with the National Football League. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season and for the third time in four seasons.-Schedule:-NFC Divisional Playoff:...
), his longest stay with one team in his career. Bono spent the 1989 and 1990 season
1990 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers entered the 1990 season heavily favoured to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The season was highlighted by their defeat of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Throughout the season, the 49ers and the Giants were the two best teams in the NFL. The 49ers would...
s as the 49ers' third-string quarterback behind Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
and Steve Young. In 1991
1991 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1991 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 42nd year with the National Football League. The franchise did not qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 1982 season...
, with Montana lost for the season, and Steve Young injured mid-season, Bono started six games. He went 5-1 as a starter and finished the season fourth in passer rating behind Young, Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, and Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
. Bono returned to his backup role behind Young in 1992
1992 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1992 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 43rd year with the National Football League. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons. This would be the last season the Niners would have with Joe Montana...
and 1993
1993 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1993 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 44th year with the National Football League. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season and for the third time in four seasons.-Schedule:-NFC Divisional Playoff:...
.
Prior to the 1994 season
1994 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1994 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9–7 record and Wild Card spot in the 1995 playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Miami Dolphins 27–17 in the Wild Card round. Alongside celebrating the NFL's 75th anniversary season, the Chiefs also honored their 35th season as a franchise...
, the 49ers traded Bono to the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, where once again he served as a backup to Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
. He was met with some criticism after reporting that "the worst restaurant in San Francisco is better than the best one in Kansas City." After Joe Montana retired, Bono became the starting quarterback in 1995
1995 Kansas City Chiefs season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
. On October 1, 1995, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Bono ran 76 yards for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, the longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history up to that time. In the same season, he guided the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and a division title. At season's end, he was selected for the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
team. Bono remained the Chiefs starter throughout the 1996 season
1996 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1996 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 9–7 record and second place finish in the AFC West. Following the Chiefs' painful loss in the playoffs the year before, the Chiefs could not match their might from 1995...
.
In 1997, Kansas City opted to hand the starting QB role to Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
and released Bono. He signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
to back up Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
. Bono spent 1998
1998 St. Louis Rams season
The 1998 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 61st year with the National Football League and the fourth season in St. Louis.-Schedule:...
with the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, battling with then-starting QB Tony Banks
Tony Banks (quarterback)
Anthony "Tony" Lamar Banks is a former professional American football quarterback.-High school years:...
for playing time, and 1999
1999 Carolina Panthers season
-Schedule:-References:...
backing up Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
starting quarterback Steve Beuerlein
Steve Beuerlein
Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.-Education:...
.
Personal life
Bono and his wife have two children, and live in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. His son, Christoph, was the quarterback for the Palo Alto High School's football team and is now a quarterback for the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Bruins football team. He has a brother, Todd Bono, who is currently a phys ed teacher at West Frederick Middle School in Frederick, MD. An avid golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, Bono held an annual golf event in the San Francisco area benefiting the National Kidney Foundation
National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. is a major voluntary health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City...
. Bono also played in the 1993 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament, one of the most prestigious pro-am events in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Bono now works for Constellation Wealth Advisors, an independent firm in Menlo Park, CA.