Completed Event: Football versus Weber State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 45, to, 10
FB
Final
James Madison
45
vs Weber State
10
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
2016 Football Roster
Roster
Steele, Gage
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Jersey Number 33
Gage Steele
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 230
- Hometown:
- Front Royal, Va.
- High School:
- Warren County
- Major:
- Sport and Recreation Management
Bio
Career Highlights: Finished career ranking 10th all-time at JMU in tackles (354)... Produced a pair of 100-tackle seasons, with 106 in 2013 and 104 in 2016... Served as team captain in 2015 and 2016.
2016 as a Redshirt Senior: Played in 13 games, making 12 starts at linebacker… Second Team All-CAA linebacker... VaSID Second Team All-State... Had a team-leading 104 total tackles (59 solo), to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries… Ranked second in the CAA in total tackles and sixth in tackles per game (8.0)... After overcoming early-season injury, tallied at least 10 tackles in seven of the last 11 games… Season-high 15 tackles at New Hampshire (Oct. 15)… Tallied 11 tackles versus Delaware (Oct. 1), at Richmond (Nov. 5) and in FCS semifinals at No. 1 North Dakota State (Dec. 16)… Accrued 10 tackles against William & Mary (Oct. 8), versus Elon (Nov. 19) and in the FCS quarterfinals against Sam Houston State (Dec. 9)… Season-best eight solo stops in back-to-back playoff games versus SHSU and at NDSU… Tallied six tackles and a career-high 2.0 sacks in NCAA Division I National Championship game versus Youngstown State (Jan. 7)... 1.5 tackles for loss in SHSU game and recorded an interception in FCS Second Round against New Hampshire (Dec. 3)… Career-high two pass breakups in NDSU win... One of two Charles Haley Defensive MVPs... Received Bob Yetzer Leadership Award... One of four team captains in 2016.
2015 as a Redshirt Junior: Played in all 12 games, making 10 starts… CAA Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5)... Team’s second-leading tackler with 89 total tackles (40 solo), to go with 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and two quarterback hurries... Ranked 12th in CAA with 7.4 tackles per game… Tied career high with 18 tackles in win over Stony Brook (Oct. 3)… Tallied double-digit tackles in four games, with 13 versus Lehigh (Sept. 12), 12 against Richmond (Oct. 24) and 10 in opener with Morehead State (Sept. 5)… Tallied at least five tackles in nine outings… Season-high six solo stops twice, against Morehead State and Stony Brook… One of four team captains in 2015.
2014 as a Redshirt Sophomore: Played in 11 games with three starts… Had 55 total tackles, including 20 solo, to go with 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and one quarterback hurry... Season-high 12 tackles (four solo) in win at Albany (Oct. 4)... Tallied eight tackles in wins over Towson (Oct. 11) and at Richmond (Nov. 15)... Made seven tackles with first career interception against Delaware (Sept. 27) while also making seven tackles (season-high six solo) in win at Charlotte (Oct. 25)... Named to CAA All-Academic Team... JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete... Dean's List (Fall 2014).
2013 as a Redshirt Freshman: Started all 12 games... Named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, honoring the national rookie of the year... The Sports Network National Rookie and CAA Defensive Rookie of the Week honors after a career-game against Albany (Oct. 5)... Had 105 total tackles, including 43 solo, to go with 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups... Ranked second on team and six in CAA with 8.8 tackles per game... Turned in career-high 18 tackles (13 solo), as well as a sack in win over Albany, which ranked second in the CAA for a single game in 2014... The 13 solo tackles were tied for the most by any JMU player since 1999... Tallied 12 tackles in collegiate debut in win over Central Connecticut State (Aug. 31)... Made 11 tackles in win over Saint Francis (Sept. 14)... Had nine tackles against both Villanova (Nov. 2) and Stone Brook (Nov. 16)... Produced eight tackles at William & Mary (Oct. 26) and against New Hampshire (Nov. 19), which were all solo... Had at least six tackles in 10 of 12 games... JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete... CAA Commissioner's Academic Award... Dean's List (Fall 2013).
2012: Redshirted to retain a year of eligibility.
High School: Was both a running back and outside linebacker at Warren County for Coach Tony Tallent, serving as team captain his final three years... Rushed for 3,514 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career as a running back and recorded 374 career tackles and three sacks... Earned Second Team Class AA All-State honors from VirginiaPreps.com, First Team All-Region II, Northern Virginia Daily First Team All-Area at linebacker and First Team All-Evergreen District honors at running back and linebacker after helping Warren County to a 7-4 record... Recorded 103 tackles and six sacks, despite being injured for part of the season, while helping lead the Wildcats to the playoffs for the second year in a row and earning his third Team MVP award... Also rushed for 984 yards and 13 touchdowns on 119 carries (average of 8.3 per carry) his senior season... Ranked No. 81 among the top 100 players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times... As a junior led Warren County to the playoffs for the first time in school’s history, advancing to the Region II Division 3 final and finishing with a 9-4 mark... Recorded 100 tackles in 2010, while rushing for 1,772 yards and 24 touchdowns on 239 carries, earning Class AA All-State Honorable Mention honors from the Virginia High School Coaches Association and All-Region and All-District honors at both running back and linebacker... Also ran track and field during his four years of high school, with a personal best of 11.69 in the 100 meters and 24.47 in the 200 meters while long jumping 21’ 4” and earned one letter in wrestling... Member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll and Academic Letter Winner, as well as the school’s nominee for the Wendy’s Heisman Award.
Personal: Full name is Gage Matthew Steele... Son of Matthew and Megan Steele... Majoring in sport and recreation management.
2016 as a Redshirt Senior: Played in 13 games, making 12 starts at linebacker… Second Team All-CAA linebacker... VaSID Second Team All-State... Had a team-leading 104 total tackles (59 solo), to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries… Ranked second in the CAA in total tackles and sixth in tackles per game (8.0)... After overcoming early-season injury, tallied at least 10 tackles in seven of the last 11 games… Season-high 15 tackles at New Hampshire (Oct. 15)… Tallied 11 tackles versus Delaware (Oct. 1), at Richmond (Nov. 5) and in FCS semifinals at No. 1 North Dakota State (Dec. 16)… Accrued 10 tackles against William & Mary (Oct. 8), versus Elon (Nov. 19) and in the FCS quarterfinals against Sam Houston State (Dec. 9)… Season-best eight solo stops in back-to-back playoff games versus SHSU and at NDSU… Tallied six tackles and a career-high 2.0 sacks in NCAA Division I National Championship game versus Youngstown State (Jan. 7)... 1.5 tackles for loss in SHSU game and recorded an interception in FCS Second Round against New Hampshire (Dec. 3)… Career-high two pass breakups in NDSU win... One of two Charles Haley Defensive MVPs... Received Bob Yetzer Leadership Award... One of four team captains in 2016.
2015 as a Redshirt Junior: Played in all 12 games, making 10 starts… CAA Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5)... Team’s second-leading tackler with 89 total tackles (40 solo), to go with 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and two quarterback hurries... Ranked 12th in CAA with 7.4 tackles per game… Tied career high with 18 tackles in win over Stony Brook (Oct. 3)… Tallied double-digit tackles in four games, with 13 versus Lehigh (Sept. 12), 12 against Richmond (Oct. 24) and 10 in opener with Morehead State (Sept. 5)… Tallied at least five tackles in nine outings… Season-high six solo stops twice, against Morehead State and Stony Brook… One of four team captains in 2015.
2014 as a Redshirt Sophomore: Played in 11 games with three starts… Had 55 total tackles, including 20 solo, to go with 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and one quarterback hurry... Season-high 12 tackles (four solo) in win at Albany (Oct. 4)... Tallied eight tackles in wins over Towson (Oct. 11) and at Richmond (Nov. 15)... Made seven tackles with first career interception against Delaware (Sept. 27) while also making seven tackles (season-high six solo) in win at Charlotte (Oct. 25)... Named to CAA All-Academic Team... JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete... Dean's List (Fall 2014).
2013 as a Redshirt Freshman: Started all 12 games... Named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, honoring the national rookie of the year... The Sports Network National Rookie and CAA Defensive Rookie of the Week honors after a career-game against Albany (Oct. 5)... Had 105 total tackles, including 43 solo, to go with 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups... Ranked second on team and six in CAA with 8.8 tackles per game... Turned in career-high 18 tackles (13 solo), as well as a sack in win over Albany, which ranked second in the CAA for a single game in 2014... The 13 solo tackles were tied for the most by any JMU player since 1999... Tallied 12 tackles in collegiate debut in win over Central Connecticut State (Aug. 31)... Made 11 tackles in win over Saint Francis (Sept. 14)... Had nine tackles against both Villanova (Nov. 2) and Stone Brook (Nov. 16)... Produced eight tackles at William & Mary (Oct. 26) and against New Hampshire (Nov. 19), which were all solo... Had at least six tackles in 10 of 12 games... JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete... CAA Commissioner's Academic Award... Dean's List (Fall 2013).
2012: Redshirted to retain a year of eligibility.
High School: Was both a running back and outside linebacker at Warren County for Coach Tony Tallent, serving as team captain his final three years... Rushed for 3,514 yards and 41 touchdowns in his career as a running back and recorded 374 career tackles and three sacks... Earned Second Team Class AA All-State honors from VirginiaPreps.com, First Team All-Region II, Northern Virginia Daily First Team All-Area at linebacker and First Team All-Evergreen District honors at running back and linebacker after helping Warren County to a 7-4 record... Recorded 103 tackles and six sacks, despite being injured for part of the season, while helping lead the Wildcats to the playoffs for the second year in a row and earning his third Team MVP award... Also rushed for 984 yards and 13 touchdowns on 119 carries (average of 8.3 per carry) his senior season... Ranked No. 81 among the top 100 players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times... As a junior led Warren County to the playoffs for the first time in school’s history, advancing to the Region II Division 3 final and finishing with a 9-4 mark... Recorded 100 tackles in 2010, while rushing for 1,772 yards and 24 touchdowns on 239 carries, earning Class AA All-State Honorable Mention honors from the Virginia High School Coaches Association and All-Region and All-District honors at both running back and linebacker... Also ran track and field during his four years of high school, with a personal best of 11.69 in the 100 meters and 24.47 in the 200 meters while long jumping 21’ 4” and earned one letter in wrestling... Member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll and Academic Letter Winner, as well as the school’s nominee for the Wendy’s Heisman Award.
Personal: Full name is Gage Matthew Steele... Son of Matthew and Megan Steele... Majoring in sport and recreation management.
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JMU Football | Win this game.
Thursday, September 04
