Steven Olson Tannen was an outstanding high school athlete with a nose for the ball when he arrived in Gainesville. He was named as one of the Florida High School Athletic Association's "100 greatest players of the first 100 years". He played defensive back for Ray Graves' Florida Gators from 1967-1969, where he was known to be a cocky player with the uncanny ability to block punts. He was named a first team All SEC in 1968, and team captain, Fergie Ferguson award winner, and first team All American in 1968. He was the 20th overall pick of the 1970 NFL Draft and was later named to the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great.