A conversation with the late Steve Tensi, FSU’s first great QB

From year one of the program til the early 60s, Florida State never had a pure passer. Even Lee Corso, best-known of the early signal-callers, ran for twice as many yards as he passed. Then Bill Peterson installed an NFL-style offense to compete against an increasingly tougher schedule of big time opponents. To pilot his aerial circus he chose Steve Tensi, a lanky kid from Ohio with a howitzer for an arm. Tensi connected—both on the field and off—with a sure- handed receiver named Fred Biletnikoff. Together, they led the upstart Seminoles to wins over the gators and Oklahoma, on the way to number 11 finish in 1964. After moderate success in pro football, Tensi retired to become a contractor in North Carolina. He passed away in mid-March at the age of 81. We’re proud to have known Steve and to have recorded this conversation recalling his football career and memories of his time at FSU.