John Steadman (February 14, 1927 – January 1, 2001) was an American sportswriter for The Baltimore Sun. His career spanned seven decades and he attended and reported on every Super Bowl from its inception until his death. Background Steadman was a student at Blessed Sacrament School on Old York Road and East 41st Street. Following his graduation after the eighth grade, heattended Baltimore City College high school where he played catcher on the varsity team. This propelled him to try his hand as a minor league baseball player. He decided to leave baseball in order to become a sportswriter. Career He was originally hired by the Baltimore News-Post in 1945 as a sports reporter, earning 14 dollars a week. In 1952, Steadman revealed that Baltimore would regain an NFL franchise. Steadman would attend every Baltimore Football game from 1947 to December 10, 2000, a streak of 719 games. He was also one of only eight writers to attend all 34 Super Bowls, through Super Bowl XXXIV. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 2000. Steadman served as a color commentator on Colts radio broadcasts from 1955 to 1958 and again from 1963 to 1966. In 1959, he wrote the book "The Greatest Football Game Ever Played: When the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants Faced Sudden Death". Steadman was honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the posthumous recipient of the Red Smith Award, America's most prestigious sports writing honor, on June 29, 2001. Family In 1973, the John F. Steadman firehouse, at the base of Baltimore's Bromo-Seltzer Tower was named for sportswriter John Steadman's father, John F. Steadman, a Baltimore City Fire Department Deputy Chief. References External links Klingaman, Mike. "Steadman wins Red Smith Award," The Baltimore Sun, Wednesday, May 2, 2001. Rasmussen, Frederick N. "John Steadman, 'fireman's fireman,'" The Baltimore Sun, Saturday, October 2, 2004. 1927 births 2001 deaths American sportswriters Baltimore City College alumni Baltimore Colts announcers Dick McCann Memorial Award recipients National Football League announcers Red Smith Award recipients Deaths from cancer in Maryland