Impact Of A Scholarship: Steve Sheppard

Steve Sheppard – nicknamed “The Bear” – was a force for Maryland men’s basketball from 1974-77 before becoming the Maryland basketball's first Olympic gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Games. 

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward played for some of the Terps’ iconic 1970s teams, which Hall of Famer Lefty Driesell coached. Sheppard totaled 1219 points and 582 rebounds in his career, placing him among the program’s best despite only playing three seasons. The Bear accomplished many other feats, but it all started with a scholarship. 

“I’d just like to say I appreciate it,” Sheppard said to those who made attending the University of Maryland possible. “To go to school and actually get a free scholarship, they pay for your food, they pay for your books, they pay for your housing. I mean, you can't beat that.”

Sheppard grew up in the Bronx, where he quickly became known as a fierce competitor and superb athlete. His first love was football, and he idolized NFL running backs such as Gale Sayers, Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green. Football was also the sport that earned him his nickname in elementary school. 

The future Maryland star began playing basketball in the fifth grade and later attended DeWitt Clinton High School, known as one of the top basketball schools in the nation. DeWitt Clinton boasts 18 city championships, 15 NBA alums and two NBA Hall of Famers (Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Dolph Schayes). 

Sheppard was the New York City Player of the Year and a High School All-American at DeWitt Clinton. He also led the Governors to two city championships. But even before that, he had dreams of becoming a professional athlete. 

“As a kid, I used to always sit with my dad,” Sheppard said. “I would say, ‘Daddy, I'm going to be a professional athlete. I'm going to play pro football, pro basketball or pro baseball.’ I'm going to be in one of them uniforms.”

Sheppard nearly attended the University of Hawaii after high school because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Tom Henderson, whom he attended high school with and looked up to. Henderson was part of the 1972 Olympic basketball team and had a decade-long NBA career. 

Dave Pritchett, the Terps’ assistant coach then, was instrumental in bringing Sheppard to Maryland. His tour of Cole Field House later solidified his last-minute decision to come to Maryland. 

“When I went into Cole Field House, I said, ‘Man, this is beautiful,’” Sheppard said. “At that time, Cole Field House was one of the biggest arenas in the country, especially college and especially on the East Coast.”

Sheppard sat out his freshman season because of academic issues. But he was an immediate star once he stepped on the court for the first time as a sophomore. That also translated to team success, as Maryland went 24-5 and earned an ACC regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 

The Bear finished his Maryland career playing in 76 games with averages of 16 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. 

“I really had a good time playing with the guys I played with,” Sheppard said. “I really enjoyed being at the University of Maryland. When I first got there, I kept telling myself my freshman year, ‘Wow, I get to be here for four years. That's a long time.’ But you know, as you're there for four years, that four years goes quick.”

Sheppard’s greatest athletic accomplishment occurred before his senior campaign. In 1976, he was one of four Terps invited to the U.S. Olympic Trials. The other three were John Lucas, Brad Davis and Maurice Howard. 

Sheppard trained harder than he ever had for a chance to compete on the world’s biggest stage. He used to complete a daily run from his home in New Carrollton to Cole Field House, spanning roughly 3.5 miles. He then would work on his basketball fundamentals and run back.  

When the opportunity came, The Bear was ready. He made the final roster, coached by Dean Smith, which featured the best collegiate basketball players in the world. The U.S. went 7-0 and defeated Yugoslavia to win the gold medal. Sheppard became the first Olympic gold medalist in Maryland basketball history. 

“I always used to love it when I watched the Wild World of Sports, and Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford would be on TV talking about world-class athletes,” Sheppard said. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be one of those. And then when you're down there in the Olympic Stadium, you think, oh my god, a kid from the Bronx is down here in the Olympic stadium. I’m a world-class athlete. … That was a heck of a feeling.”

Sheppard was a second-round NBA Draft choice by the Chicago Bulls in 1977. He played in Chicago for two seasons before spending his final season with the Detroit Pistons. He continued his professional career overseas, playing for another three seasons in Rome, Santo Domingo and Uruguay. Sheppard even appeared in Sports Illustrated posted in front of the Colosseum in 1980. 

Sheppard retired from basketball at 29 and accepted a job as an administrator at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where he was in charge of 320 units. He then worked as a corrections officer for a decade and did security work for Prince George’s County school systems for 18 years. 

The former basketball star remained involved with basketball in the area by coaching Oxon Hill’s Middle School basketball team and running various summer camps, including one at Gwynn Park High School alongside Mike Glick, one of Maryland's most accomplished high school basketball coaches. 

Sheppard retired in 2018 and was inducted into the Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. Now, at 70 years old, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 40 years. 

“The most beautiful thing is being married to my wife for 40 years,” Sheppard said. “That's the most beautiful thing and my biggest accomplishment. I don't care about no awards, no gold medal, none of those things could compare to me being with my wife for 40 years.”