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Former New Orleans Saints tailback Aaron Stecker calls it a career

Former New Orleans Saints tailback Aaron Stecker calls it a career
By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

Former New Orleans Saints tailback and special teamer Aaron Stecker went undrafted in 1999, and he stayed mostly under the radar for the next decade.
But he put together a long and successful career that any of this week's draft picks would be proud of.

"I played for 10 years, 11 if you count my year on the practice squad, and I had a chance to play on some good teams. Tampa won the Super Bowl while I was there, and New Orleans went from Katrina to the NFC championship game, " said Stecker, who quietly turned in his retirement papers in late February after 11 NFL seasons with Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Atlanta. "I had a real good career. ... I lasted longer than a lot of running backs who got drafted before me, "

Stecker (5 feet 10, 213 pounds) admitted that he didn't have a great performance at the NFL scouting combine in 1999, which was part of the reason he went undrafted out of Western Illinois, then bounced from Chicago to Tampa Bay and NFL Europe before he finally started to shine.
But by making an impact on special teams and as a third-down back, he made versatility his specialty.

"You've just got to keep working hard. One thing you can't test is someone's heart and determination, " said Stecker, who played with New Orleans from 2004 to '08 and finished his career with 1,526 rushing yards, 1,175 receiving yards, 3,934 kickoff return yards and 12 total touchdowns. "I learned early on that the more you can do, the longer you can last. That was my motto throughout my career."

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said Stecker was an "awesome guy."
"He was a really good player for us, a real good free-agent signing for us, " Loomis said. "And he's just such a quality guy, a good leader for his group, and he was real respected by his teammates and not only the coaching staff that got him but also by Sean (Payton) and this coaching staff.
"He filled a lot of roles for us, typical of those guys that are under the radar screen. But I wouldn't call them role players. I'd call them significant contributors. He was that for us."

After leaving the Saints last year, Stecker eventually caught on with the Falcons as a midseason injury replacement and appeared in nine games. He said he could have done that for a few more years, "waiting for someone to get hurt, " but said, "I set a high standard for myself and decided it was time."

Stecker, who lives with his wife Kara, daughter Skylar and son Dorsett in Wisconsin, said he doesn't have any immediate plans but said he's got some time to figure it out.

"I lived my dream, playing in the NFL for a lot of great teams, " Stecker said, "and now I've got to think of a new dream to live."

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