Steve Stonebreaker


Thornton Steve Stonebreaker was a professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the Minnesota Vikings, the Baltimore Colts, and the New Orleans Saints. He was one of the original Saints. Son Mike also played in the NFL.
Stonebreaker played all 14 games throughout his career except for 1966 and 1967 when he played only 4 and 10 games, respectively. He played in the 1964 NFL Championship Game as a member of the 12–2 Colts but lost 27–0 to Cleveland.
After he retired he opened a restaurant in New Orleans, called Stonebreaker's. It was located at 2700 Erdenborn Avenue in Metairie. Its specialty was barbecue baby back pork ribs and crabcakes that he learned to make when he played for the Baltimore Colts. The interior decor of the restaurant was NFL memorabilia. The restaurant closed shortly after his death.
At the time of his sad demise, the restaurant was in financial trouble and Stonebreaker had learned he had cancer.
Stonebreaker committed suicide on March 28, 1995 by subjecting himself to carbon monoxide poisoning from a car exhaust.