Chadron State College Athletics

A native of Minatare, Stephenson was a stellar member of the Eagles’ outstanding football teams in the late 1940s after he had served in the Army in Europe during World War II. He was a running back and played in the secondary on defense.
Stephenson was a highly successful football coach. He led Cambridge to an undefeated season in 1951 and Class C top 10 rankings in 1952 and ’53. He also had an undefeated team at Rushville in 1959 and a top 10 ranking again in 1960 before he moved to Lincoln Southeast, where he was the head coach for seven seasons.  He said his career record was 117-37. He was the head coach for the North in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl in 1961.