Hall of Fame - Athletes

2005

STEVE BLEHM

North Dakota

Basketball - North Dakota, Gallaudet, WGD

A six-footer guard from 1969 to 1973, Steve Blehm is still the most prolific high school basketball player in the State of North Dakota. At the North Dakota School for the Deaf, Steve scored 3,930 points in his five-year high school basketball career, which is still the state all-time scoring record. The 3-point play was not instituted in North Dakota until 1983; some 20 years after Steve’s graduation, and Steve would have scored many more points because most of his points came from the range of 20 to 23 feet. To illustrate Steve’s all-time state scoring record clearly, the distance between his record and the second place is 1,216 points – the equivalent of a player averaging 22 points a game for two years. Steve was also an outstanding rebounder and free throw shooter.

Steve holds seven school, 12 state and three national records. The state and national records are outlined below:

State:	All-Time Scoring – 4 years	3,859
	All-Time Scoring – 1 year	1,134
	Most points – 1 game	85
	Most Field Goals – 1 year	448
	Most Field Goals – 4 years	1,516
	Most Free Throws – 1 game	17
	Most Free Throws – 1 year	239
	Most Free Throws – 4 years	827
	Most Rebounds – 4 years	1,352
	Best Average – 1 year	47.3 ppg
	Best Average – 4 years	41.1 ppg
National:	Most Points Averaged Per Game (career)	41.1 ppg
	Most Points Averaged Per Game (sophomore)	47.3 ppg
	Most Points Averaged Per Game (freshman)	35.8 ppg

Steve also holds scoring records in a district playoff tournament with 72 points in the quarterfinals game, 61 in the semifinal game and 50 in the championship game for a total of 183 points in the same tournament, another tournament record. Steve’s four-year shooting accuracy was 47.6 percent from the field and 71.8 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 14.4 rebounds, finishing with 1,352 rebounds, a state record.

Steve was named to the All State First Team in 1973, the All State Second Team in 1972, All State Honorable Mention in 1971 and 1970, Deaf Prep All American First Team in 1973 and 1972, Deaf Prep All American Second Team in 1971, All District Tournament Team in 1973, 1972 and 1971, and All Ramsey County First Team in 1973, 1972 and 1971. Steve was named the Deaf Cager of the Year in 1973 and 1972, the American Athletic Association of the Deaf Athletic of the Year in 1972, and the Gallaudet University Athlete of the Year in 1978.

At Gallaudet University, Steve became the seventh all-time scoring leader at Gallaudet University where he was named the most valuable player twice. Steve was the star player on the United States men basketball team that won the gold medal at the World Games for the Deaf in 1977.

Steve is the only deaf athlete to make the Sports Illustrated 50 greatest sports figures by being named the 22nd greatest athlete in the State of North Dakota. Steve is arguably the greatest legend of North Dakota high school basketball and deserves the nod from the USADSF Hall of Fame committee for induction in the prestigious USADSF Hall of Fame.