Steve Breaston life and biography

Steve Breaston is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League.

Drafted in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, has appeared in 47 of 48 regular season games and all six postseason contests during his first three seasons. Signed a one-year tender with Arizona on 3/29/10 as a restricted free agent.

2009:
After missing the first game of the regular season with a knee injury he suffered during the preseason, served as the Cardinals third WR and primary punt returner for the second straight year, starting six of 15 games played and both postseason contests … including the regular and postseason, registered a team-high 14 receptions of 20 yards or more … inactive (knee) for the season opener vs. SF (9/13); marked the first game missed in his career … after missing a practice and being limited in others during the week (knee), registered a team-high 83 yards receiving on five receptions @ Jax (9/20) … for the second straight week led the Cardinals with 94 yards receiving on seven receptions vs. Ind (9/27) … averaged 21.3 yards on three punt returns with a long of 36 and finished second on the team with seven receptions for 77 yards and one TD @ Sea (10/18) … tied Larry Fitzgerald for the lead among Cardinal WRs with six receptions for 57 yards vs. Car (11/1) … started in place of the injured Boldin (ankle) and registered a regular season career-long 25-yard run as well as five receptions for 66 yards and one TD @ Chi (11/8) … registered four receptions for 79 yards and a TD vs. Sea (11/15); marked third TD in the last three games vs. Seattle … set up the tying score with a 64-yard punt return to the Vikings two-yard line and rushed for 19 yards on a reverse vs. Min (12/6); marked the second longest punt return of his career … recorded a 45-yard reception to the Rams 14-yard line, setting up a TD to put Arizona up 7-0 vs. StL (12/27); 45-yard reception marked the Cardinals longest completion of the regular season … led team with a career postseason-high seven receptions for 125 yards and one TD as well as a career-long 28-yard run vs. GB (1/10/10); marked first career 100-yard game in the postseason; 125 yards marked the highest single-game total of his career, including the regular season … made second consecutive postseason start in place of injured WR Anquan Boldin (ankle) and recorded four receptions for 52 yards @ NO (1/16/10) in the Divisional game.

2008:
Started nine of 16 games played as well as two of four postseason games serving as the Cardinals third WR and punt returner ... started first career game as the Cardinals opened in a four WR set vs. Mia (9/14) ... established career-highs with 192 yards on eight kickoff returns and nine receptions for 122 yards @ NYJ 99/28); combined with 10 punt return yards set a franchise record of 324 combined yards which surpassed the 284 combined yards by Ollie Matson vs. Pit on 12/31/54; teamed with Boldin (10 rec.-119 yds.) and Fitzgerald (8 rec.-122 yds.) to mark only the second time in franchise history that three receivers went over 100 yards in the same game (first happened in 11/10/68 vs. Pit) ... tied for team lead with seven receptions for 77 yards vs. Buf (10/5) ... made fifth consecutive start and for the second straight week filled in for the injured Boldin, leading the team with eight receptions for 102 yards and first career receiving TD vs. Dal (10/12) ... recorded a game and career-high 124 yards on seven receptions vs. SF (11/10) ... registered team-high six receptions for 45 yards and one TD @ Phi (11/27) ... recorded a career long 58-yard reception as part of a team-high seven receptions for 90 yards while missing some time with a rib injury late in the second quarter vs. StL (12/7); marked the fifth game he has either led or tied for the team-lead in receptions ... started for the injured Boldin at WR while also registering a career-high nine kickoff returns @ NE (12/21) ... recorded a TD and 91 receiving yards vs. Sea (12/28) to reach a career best 1,006 yards on the season ... started in playoff debut and recorded 39 yards on two receptions including a 25-yarder for a first down on the Cardinals game clinching drive that ate up the final 4:10 vs. Atl (1/3/09) ... started in place of the injured Boldin (hamstring) and finished second on the team with four receptions for 28 yards @ Car (1/10/09) ... registered a season long 34-yard punt return as well as a postseason-high of six receptions for 71 yards vs. Pit (2/1/09).

2007:
Played in all 16 games as the primary kick and punt returner, recording 1,786 combined return yards, the fourth-highest season total in franchise history … totaled four punt returns for a career-high 101 yards while registering first career TD on a 73-yard punt return vs. Pit (9/30); became the first Cardinals rookie with a punt return TD since Vai Sikahema in 1986, and it was the longest since a 76-yard TD by Sikahema in 1987 while also marking the first punt return for a TD for the Cardinals since they played @ Was on 9/12/93 when Johnny Bailey returned a Reggie Roby punt 58 yards; earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week becoming only the fourth Cardinal rookie to earn a Player of the Week award … registered first career carry for 10 yards while returning five kickoffs for a 24.6-yard average vs. Car (10/14); returned at least one kick off for 33 yards or more in three out of the last four games … registered second longest punt return of the season (46 yards ) that set up a TD and his second longest kickoff return (52) vs. Det (11/11) … hauled in first two career receptions for 24 yards and opened fourth quarter with career long 59-yard kickoff return to set up a Neil Rackers FG that made it 24-18 with 12:10 left vs. Cle (12/2) … set career-high with four receptions for 52 yards @ Sea (12/9) … saved a TD on a Falcon fake punt with his first career tackle vs. Atl (12/23).

College:
The Big Ten’s all-time leader in punt returns (127) and punt return yards (1,599) … appeared in 48 games for the Wolverines with 25 starts … scored on kickoff returns (1), punt returns (4), as a receiver (10) and running the ball (2), while amassing 5,609 all-purpose yards during his career … started 12 of 13 games at split end and led the team with a career-high 58 receptions for 670 yards and two TDs … as a junior, was the recipient of the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award and became the first player in U-M history to gain 1,000 return yards (1,002) in a season and finished third on the team with 26 receptions for 291 yards and two TDs, adding 101 yards on 10 carries (10.1 avg) … as a sophomore, played in 11 games, finishing third on the team with 34 receptions for 291 yards (8.6 avg.) and three TDs … gained 292 yards with one TD on 24 punt returns, ranking third in the Big Ten Conference with a 12.3-yard average … added 689 yards on 28 kickoff returns (24.6 avg.), both good for school season-records, giving him 1,348 all-purpose yards on the season, an average of 122.5 yards-per-game … saw action in 13 games as a freshman and ranked third in the Big Ten with 13.8 yards-per-punt return as he set Michigan season records in punt returns (45) and yards (619) ... scored two TDs on punt returns, ranked second on the team in receiving TDs (three), third in receiving yards (444) and fourth in receptions (38), averaging 11.7 yards-per-catch … amassed 1,319 all-purpose yards, an average of 101.4 yards-per-game.

Personal:
Full name Steven William Breaston … attended Woodland Hills (North Braddock, PA) High School where he lettered three times in football, leading the team to a 14-1 record and to a berth in the Pennsylvania 4-A State Championship game … helped Woodland Hills win the WPIAL Class AAAA title, gaining 219 yards on 15 carries during a 41-6 victory … in June of 2010 was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame … named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year in 2001 … selected as Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s co-Player of the Year (with Chiefs QB Tyler Palko) … gained 2,545 career rushing yards and 37 TDs as a quarterback … as a senior, he rushed 151 times for 1,718 yards (11.4 avg.) and 24 TDs, completed 33-of-79 passes for 600 yards and was involved in 34 scores overall, including 10 TD runs of more than 50 yards … returned two punts for TDs in his senior season and accounted for more than 5,000 all-purpose yards during his last two seasons … lettered twice in basketball and track, winning the district title in the 300-meter hurdles as a junior.

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