Steve Tasker
A fearless special teams gunner who redefined the importance of coverage play and became the heart of the Buffalo Bills' Super Bowl teams.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American sports reporter·Birthday: April 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Tasker proved that football glory isn't reserved for quarterbacks and running backs. At 5'9", he was considered too small for a conventional NFL role, but he possessed a rare combination of speed, fearlessness, and tactical intelligence. After a brief stint in Houston, he found his home in Buffalo, where he transformed the obscure job of special teams gunner into a highlight-reel art form. Tasker didn't just cover kicks; he demolished wedges, pinned returners deep, and forced fumbles with the explosive impact of a defensive end. His dominance was so complete that he forced the league to recognize special teams as a crucial phase of the game, earning seven Pro Bowl selections—a rarity for a non-kicker. While the Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl losses define that era, Tasker's relentless effort on the third of the field embodied the gritty, relentless spirit of those teams, making him one of the most respected and unique players of his generation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected to seven Pro Bowls (1987, 1990-1995) solely for his play on special teams, an unprecedented achievement at the time.
- Named the MVP of the 1993 Pro Bowl after blocking a punt and recovering it for a touchdown.
- Played in four consecutive Super Bowls (XXV-XXVIII) with the Buffalo Bills as a core special teams player and occasional wide receiver.
- Earned five First-Team All-Pro selections (1990-1993, 1995) for his special teams play.
Did You Know?
He is often cited by analysts and former players as the greatest special teams player in NFL history.
Tasker scored a receiving touchdown in the Bills' 51-3 AFC Championship victory over the Raiders in 1991.
He transitioned seamlessly to a broadcasting career after retirement, becoming a longtime analyst for CBS Sports.
His son, Luke Tasker, also became a professional football player, starring in the Canadian Football League.
“My job was to cover kicks and make tackles, and I loved every second of it.”
