Steve Bono
Steven Christopher Bono (Born May 11, 1962) in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is a retired National Football League quarterback.
Collegiate career
Bono was the pride of the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociology. As a Bruins quarterback, Bono posted collegiate career numbers of 177 completions in 315 attempts, threw for 2,165 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Not just a football star, Bono excelled on the baseball diamond as well, where he earned a varsity letter as the team's catcher.
NFL career
When Bono was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1985 draft, only two other quarterbacks were selected ahead of him: Randall Cunningham and Frank Reich.
In his first two seasons with the Vikings (1985-1986), Bono appeared in only two total 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, where he subsequently signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steve appeared in five total games over two seasons with the Steelers (1987-1988). Bono made his first NFL start as a Steeler on October 4, 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons. After the 1988 season, the Steelers allowed Bono to become free agent.
On June 13, 1989, Bono signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers, where he spent the next four seasons (1989-1993), the most with one team in his career. He appeared in nine games in 1991, then participated in all 16 games in 1992, primarily as a placeholder to starter (and future NFL Hall of Famer) Steve Young.
Prior to the 1994 season, the 49ers traded Bono to the Kansas City Chiefs, where once again he served as a backup to a future Hall of Famer, Joe Montana.
While still playing with the Chiefs, 1995 was the best season of Bono's career. With the retirement of Joe Montana, Steve was granted the role of starting quarterback. He guided the Chiefs to a 13-3 record and a division title. At season's end, Bono was elected to the AFC Pro-Bowl team. Bono remained as starter throughout the 1996 season.
As quickly as Bono's role as a starter began, it concluded. Opting to hand the starting role to Elvis Grbac in 1997, the Chiefs released Bono. For the third time in his career, Bono served as the backup to a future Hall of Fame quarterback, signing as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers and becoming the second string quarterback behind Brett Favre.
Bono's last two NFL seasons were 1998 and 1999. He spent 1998 with the St. Louis Rams, battling with then-starting QB Trent Green for playing time, and 1999 backing up Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Steve Beuerlein.
Personal life
Steve and his wife, Tina, have two children, and live in Palo Alto, California. An avid golfer, 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.