Sep 6, 2018
In today's episode of the mind set game podcast, I sat down with Dave Stevens.
He was born without legs in the late 1960s, was put up for adoption, and was raised by two loving and supportive parents who instilled core values that helped make him the man he is today.
In the years before adaptive sports, he decided to play able-bodied sports and became a pioneer in his home state of Arizona. Dave attended elementary school in the Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix and was a student at Mountain View, Sunnyslope and Desert Foothills schools.
Dave played basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, softball and every sport possible before becoming a three-sport varsity athlete at Wickenburg High School in Wickenburg, AZ.
After numerous national articles and a feature appearance on ABC’s “That’s Incredible”, he was awarded a scholarship to Augsburg College in Minnesota. It was here that he became the only legless player in college football history. His success eventually led to a tryout with Dallas Cowboys and representing Team USA playing football in New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland.
Dave’s love for baseball also led him to tryouts with the 1984 Olympic baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Minnesota Twins. In 1996, Dave again reached another milestone, signing a 3- week contract with minor league baseball team the St. Paul Saints, being the only legless athlete to ever achieve that.
Off the field, Dave enjoyed 30+ years in sports broadcasting, with duties ranging from a reporter to a video editor, to a producer. He spent 20+ years working at ESPN, where he earned seven national sports Emmy’s. He has covered Super Bowls, World Series, Final Fours and anything in between.
You can learn more about Dave via his website davestevensspeaks.com and by connecting through his Facebook.
For more information about Mind Set Game connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast
For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram