Hayseed Stephens

Ernest Harold "Hayseed" Stephens
Born	Template:Birth date Caps, Texas, U.S.
Died	May 15, 2003(2003-05-15) (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	Professional football athlete, entrepreneur, evangelical minister
Years active	1957–1969 (football), 1980–2003 (ministry)
Known for	Quarterback for New York Titans, Sammy Baugh Trophy winner, evangelical ministry

Ernest Harold "Hayseed" Stephens (October 30, 1938 – May 15, 2003) was an American professional football athlete, entrepreneur, and evangelical minister. He spent one season as a quarterback for the New York Titans in the American Football League (AFL) and participated in multiple minor league football teams. During his time at Hardin–Simmons University, Stephens earned the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 1960. Following his athletic career, he became an evangelical preacher, was honored with a princely title by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, and pursued oil exploration projects in Israel under the encouragement of Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

Early life

Born on October 30, 1938, in Caps, Texas, Stephens attended Abilene High School. There, he contributed to winning football state championships in both 1955 and 1956, as well as baseball state titles in 1956 and 1957.

College career

From 1957 through 1960, Stephens played quarterback for the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys. His passing performance improved annually, culminating in his senior year with 145 completions out of 256 attempts (56.6%), totaling 1,254 yards, three touchdown passes, and 14 interceptions, alongside two rushing touchdowns. Remarkably, his 145 completions led the nation despite his team finishing winless at 0–10, making him the first player to lead a major offensive category while on a team without victories. That year, he was awarded the distinguished Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s top collegiate passer. His coach from 1957 to 1959 was former NFL standout Sammy Baugh. After graduation, Stephens participated in the Copper Bowl All-Star game and was posthumously inducted into Hardin–Simmons’ athletic hall of fame in 2005.

Professional career

Although not selected in the 1961 NFL draft, Stephens signed with the Louisville Raiders of the United Football League (UFL) for the 1961 season. That year, he completed 101 of 226 passes (44.7%) for 1,123 yards with five touchdowns and thirteen interceptions. Additionally, he rushed 44 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders concluded the season with a 4–6 record. In the following year, he improved his accuracy completing 42 of 68 passes (61.8%) for 411 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.

On September 26, 1962, Stephens was acquired by the New York Titans from Louisville. He served as backup quarterback behind starter Ed Songin, stepping in after starter Lee Grosscup sustained an injury. A notable incident occurred on October 21 when Stephens was mistakenly ejected during a game against the Dallas Texans, despite not being involved in any altercation; this was a tactical decision by the Titans to shield linebacker Jerry Fields. Following review, no penalties were imposed. Throughout the 1962 season with the Titans, Stephens appeared in six games, completing 15 out of 22 passes (68.2%) for a total of 123 yards and rushing six times for 33 yards. After that season, he became a free agent. He did not participate in professional football during the 1963 season due to severe injuries sustained by his wife and child in an automobile accident.

In early 1964, Stephens signed with the Canton Bulldogs of the UFL but departed prior to the start of their season.

Stephens resumed playing in 1966 when he joined the Sherman-Denison Jets of the Texas Football League (TFL). That year he completed 51 of 76 passes (67.1%) for 648 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. The following season in 1967, he threw for 2,030 yards with eighteen touchdowns and fourteen interceptions on a completion rate of 136 out of 264 attempts (51.5%), adding one rushing touchdown. The Jets finished that year with a record of 5–9. Additionally, Stephens held head coaching responsibilities for three games during that season but did not secure any wins.

In 1968, Stephens took on dual roles as player and coach for the El Paso Jets (TFL), throwing two touchdown passes while guiding the team through a season that ended at 5–7.

He wrapped up his professional playing career with the West Texas Rufneks of the Continental Football League in 1969.

Post-football career

In 1966, Stephens ventured into country music, releasing two singles. After retiring from football, he experienced significant financial fluctuations within the oil sector, accumulating and subsequently losing millions. Following a spiritual transformation in 1978, he and his wife established Living Way Ministries in 1980. As an evangelical speaker, he traveled internationally, notably reaching an audience of 11 million in Nigeria by 2002. Throughout his missions, Stephens encountered various prime ministers and was honored with a princely title by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. Acting on the recommendation of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, he dedicated over two decades to an oil extraction initiative in Israel, which ultimately did not succeed. Stephens passed away from a heart attack on May 15, 2003.