Steve Hendrickson


Steven Daniel Hendrickson is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. Hendrickson attended Napa High School where he was an outstanding varsity player during all four years at the school. His #30 jersey remains the only one ever retired by the school. He played college football for the California Golden Bears at California where he graduated with a major in history. He was named defensive player of the game at the 1988 Blue–Gray Football Classic and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played seven NFL seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers and Philadelphia Eagles. Hendrickson was a member of the San Francisco 49ers when they won their fourth Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990. During his professional career, he played various positions despite his relatively small stature. Hendrickson is fondly remembered among Chargers fans for being used as a short yardage, goal line running back, despite the fact that his main position was a defensive one. In particular, Hendrickson scored on a 1-yard run against the Kansas City Chiefs in a January 1993 playoff game in San Diego, to cap off a 17-0 shutout of the Chiefs.

Personal life

Hendrickson currently resides in Napa, California. He has two kids, Courtney and Kyle, who both have graduated from California and Fresno State. Steve suffered several concussions during his playing years. During his NFL career, concussion were often ignored as a long term health risk. Hendrickson suffers from many of the same symptoms as other former NFL players who have been diagnosed with trauma-related brain injuries resulting from concussions during their playing years. He now collects a disability payment from the Social Security Administration in addition to a disability pension from the NFL Player Retirement Plan. The NFL pension plan's six person board determined his injuries were "non-football related" which made him ineligible for enhanced benefits.