Steve Bartkowski played college football at Cal, where he led the nation in passing and was a consensus All-American QB. After graduation, he was the number one overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft and named NFL Rookie of the Year that same year. During his 12-year professional career, he appeared in two Pro Bowls and compiled 24,124 career passing yards.

Steve Bartkowski was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.