Top 50 Cal Pros: No. 41 -- Steve Bartkowski A Productive No. 1 Pick

We are counting down Cal’s top 50 athletes based on their careers as post-collegiate professionals. Their performance as Golden Bears is not factored into the rankings.

41. STEVE BARTKOWSKI

Years at Cal: 1971 to 1974

Sport: Football

Pro teams: Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams

Age: 72

Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa

Why we ranked him here: Cal’s first No. 1 pick in the 1975 NFL draft, Bartkowski were selected by the Falcons, who traded up two spots to land their future quarterback. Bartkowski signed with sports agent Leigh Steinberg, making him fellow the first significant client of his fellow Cal alum. Bartkowski, at 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, was named The Sporting News Rookie of the Year in ’75 when he started 11 games and passed for 1,662 yards and 13 touchdowns. He threw for 309 yards and a pair of TDs in a late-season 31-9 win over the 49ers. His next two seasons were limited by a knee injury in ’76 that required the first of 11 surgeries he underwent over the course of his career and afterward. Back as the starter by the third week in1978, Bartkowski orchestrated a five-game win streak midseason that ultimately got the Falcons in to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta’s 14-13 win over Philadelphia. That turned out to be the only Falcons’ only victory in three trips to the postseason with Bartkowski at the helm. He had his best season in 1980, passing for 3,544 yards with 31 touchdowns while leading the Falcons to a 12-4 record. The Falcons lost 30-27 to Dallas in their first-round playoff game despite Bartkowski passing for 320 yards and two TDs. He finished third in the 1980 MVP voting and earned the first of two Pro Bowl selections. Bartkowski threw for a career-best 3,829 yards with 30 TDs in 1981 but the Falcons slumped to 7-9. He had his final great season in 1983, passing for 3,167 yards with 22 TDs and just five interceptions. Bartkowski remained with the Falcons through the 1985 season before ending his career by playing six games for the Los Angeles Rams in ’86. He totaled 24,124 career passing yards with 156 touchdowns and 144 interceptions. Bartkowski was made a member of the Falcons Ring of Honor in 2004 and has been inducted into the National Polish American Hall of Fame (1993) and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (2007).