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Steven Jay Tasker (born April 10, 1962) is an American sports reporter and former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He spent the majority of his career with the Buffalo Bills but began his career with the Tennessee Titans. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, primarily as a special teams player.
Tasker played college football at Dodge City Community College in Kansas before playing for the Northwestern Wildcats. He was selected in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Oilers. Tasker played most of his pro career with Buffalo, and was voted by Bills fans to the team's 50th season All-time Team. After retiring from playing, he has worked as a reporter, currently serving locally in Western New York on the MSG Western New York cable TV station, and on WGR Radio and formerly for CBS Sports.
In 2008, the NFL Network show NFL Top 10 ranked Tasker the ninth-best former player not enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has several times been a nominee for the Hall, making the semi-finalist list eight times, but has not been selected as a member as of 2024.
Tasker was listed as a wide receiver, however, most of his playing time came as a gunner, on punts and kickoffs. After he joined the Buffalo Bills, he began to play at wide receiver more than with the Oilers. While he performed very well as a receiver when Buffalo needed his services there, the combination of excellent Bills depth at that position, his value as a special teams playmaker, and Tasker refusing to demand more playing time on offense kept his WR time very slight.
Still, Tasker did make contributions at the more traditional role on offense and special teams. In a 1994 playoff game against the Los Angeles Raiders, he set up the Bills first touchdown with a 67-yard kickoff return. He also caught 5 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown in Buffalo's 1995 playoff win against the Miami Dolphins.
He was ranked No. 9 on the NFL Network's NFL Top 10 Players Not in the Hall of Fame.
Many, including former teammate and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, consider him to be the greatest special teams player of all-time and believe that he should be in the Hall of Fame.
On September 9, 2007, Tasker became the 24th person inducted to the Bills' Wall of Fame.
On November 22, 2011, Tasker was named one of the semifinalists in balloting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Class of 2012 semifinalists, Pro Football Hall of Fame, November 22, 2011. Pro Football Hall Of Fame Announces 26 Semifinalists, Sports Illustrated, November 23, 2011.
On September 28, 2013, his son, Luke Tasker, made his Canadian Football League debut with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in a home game against the Calgary Stampeders. Luke Tasker also became a broadcaster during and after his playing career, becoming the Tiger-Cats' color commentator.
In April 2018, Tasker became co-host of One Bills Live, a daily weekday radio show focusing on the Buffalo Bills alongside Chris Brown on WGR and MSG Western New York. He served as the color commentator and analyst for the Buffalo Bills Radio Network in 2020 alongside John Murphy after Eric Wood opted out of the season due to traveling difficulties associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
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