rank Steketee played college football as a fullback, halfback, punter and kicker for Fielding H. Yost's 1918, 1920, and 1921 University of Michigan football teams and was the first freshman at Michigan to earn All-American honors.
First, he was captain of the 1917 football team at Central High and ran track while also being the president of his 1918 graduating class.
As a freshman at Michigan he had a remarkable year by any era’s standards.
Steketee started both ways for the 1918 Wolverines in a season shortened to five games due to the 1918 flu pandemic and war-related travel restrictions. Also, the freshman ineligible rule of the time was relaxed that year because of a shortage of athletes due to World War I.
The 5-0 Wolverines, who outscored opponents 96-6 that season, have been recognized retroactively as national champions.
Among Steketee’s highlights that season was scoring 21 of 33 points with three touchdowns in a win over Case Institute of Technology, scoring all 15 of his team’s points in a win over Syracuse, including an interception returned 20 yards for a touchdown, and having a hand in 14 points in a win over Ohio State, which included a 12-yard forward pass TD.
He missed the 1919 season serving in the U.S. Navy for a year as the U.S. became embroiled in World War I but returned to Michigan and the football team in 1920.
He was All-Big Ten in 1920 and regarded during his career as one of the nation’s top kickers and punters in addition to his duties at halfback and fullback. He was also a member of Michigan’s first varsity swimming team as a diver while at Michigan and competed in club gymnastics.
Steketee also served in the military as Army Air Corps medic during World War II from 1942-44, and later worked as an account examiner for the finance division of Michigan Department of Highways in Lansing until his death from a reported heart attack in 1951 at age 51.