Draft:Steve Wadiak

Stephan Wadiak (January 8, 1926 – March 9, 1952), nicknamed "the Cadillac", was an American football running back. He played college football at South Carolina.

Early life
Steve Wadiak was born on January 8, 1926, in the Burnside neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. He was the last of five children born to Anna (née Kupczak) and Nick Wadiak. His mother, Anna, was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States when she was 17 years old. Wadiak's father, Nick, had also been born in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States at a young age. They married at the St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 1916, and had their first child (Walter) within a year.

At the age of nine, Wadiak was hired by a nearby grocery store as a part-time delivery boy. He saved up his paychecks for a specific purpose: the purchase of a football. Wadiak had been previously allowed to hold one owned by an older boy in the neighborhood, and "savored the experience," deciding that's what he would save up his money for.

At a young age, Wadiak developed an interest for sports. He often joined his older brothers at a nearby field to watch them play sandlot baseball, football, and other sports, "longing for the day when he too would be old enough to participate." When too young to play, he served as a batboy, water boy, and ball boy.

Wadiak was nicknamed "Pinchy" by the older boys in the neighborhood. He acquired the nickname while watching a game of sandlot baseball. Wadiak, noticing the older boys taking tobacco, asked to take a "pinch." One of them made a mixture of coffee grinds and sugar, putting it in an empty tobacco can, and gave it to Wadiak. Watching him take the mixture, one of them said "Way to go, 'Pinchy,'" and the nickname stuck.

After finishing chores on Saturdays, Wadiak and his siblings often joined other neighborhood children for one of their favorite activities–"junking," a scavenger hunt where participants would search through trash in hopes of finding empty Rosemary Company tin cans. When 100 labels where acquired, one could go to the redemption store and chose a toy for 99¢. When he acquired enough labels, Wadiak chose a football.

Wadiak grew up a fan of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears, and often pretended to be the Bears' running back Bronko Nagurski.

When an adolescent, Wadiak created a gym out of an empty garage behind his house and old workout equipment. It became a gathering place for the "athletically-minded boys" of the neighborhood.

High school
After graduating from Oliver Perry Elementary School, Wadiak enrolled at Fenger High School in late 1939. He played football as a freshman but saw very limited playing time due to the school having a large number of talented players at his position. After each game, Wadiak returned home and entered through the back door, then quickly hid his football uniform in a hole beneath the staircase, due to his mother being against him playing the sport. Eventually, Anna Wadiak discovered the uniform and decided to put an end to Steve's playing career. However, Joe Wadiak, Steve's brother, persuaded Anna to allow him to continue playing.

Believing he wouldn't get much of a chance to play at Fenger, Wadiak transferred to the newly formed Chicago Vocational High School (CVS) in 1941. As a sophomore, he played on their junior varsity football team, which was coached by his friend Chip Garritano. One of his close friends, Louis Guida, joined him as a member of the backfield. The junior varsity as well as the school's varsity team each played several unofficial games; they had not yet joined the Chicago High School League. In 1942, he became a member of the varsity football team. The team had limited equipment, with many players wearing only sweatshirts and work pants for the games. There was only a single ball owned by the team and they had to ration among the 11 players a limited supply of shoulder pads and cleats. There was no field owned by the school, which led to practices being held three miles away at the Avalon Park. No records exist of the 1942 season, although local folklore states that the school won all five of its games (against the Morgan Park, Bowen, South Shore, Hirsch, and Parker High Schools). Wadiak was heralded as their top runner, kicker, passer, and defensive player, and was described as "clearly the star" of the 1942 and 1943 football teams. The school played an expanded schedule in 1943 but struggled against tougher opponents. Years later, his varsity high school coach Beryl McNabb said that Wadiak had played in and scored a touchdown in all 27 games in his time at CVS, declaring that he was the "greatest running back in school history." A 1948 article in The Daily Calumet stated that "In 32 games for CVS, Steve scored in 31–the other game ending in a scoreless tie with a Morgan Park team of the great Walt Teninga era."

In addition to playing in football, Wadiak also participated in wrestling at CVS, earning a runner-up finish in the Chicago-area tournament. In the first two seasons of the school's wrestling team, they only lost a single game, which was due to an injury to one of their wrestlers. With a lack of depth, they could not substitute another player and had to forfeit the match.

Military service
Wadiak celebrated his 18th birthday on January 8, 1944, in the middle of his senior year of high school. At the time, his two brothers, Walter and Joe, were in the military due to World War II. Walter was a member of the 7th Division of the United States Army and Joe was a shore patrolman in the Navy. Most of his favorite players and mentors were also serving in the war, and Wadiak felt the need to serve as well. Without asking permission from his parents, he went to a Navy recruitment office and offered to serve in the war, shortly after his 18th birthday.

Wadiak reported to the Great Lakes Naval Station for service in February 1944. It was located by the southwest shore of Lake Michigan, which was about 50 miles away from his childhood home. He started with eight weeks of basic training and was assigned a number as well as a dog tag. Wadiak spent 28 months as part of the Navy, and had three different facilities at which he was stationed. Following his training at Great Lakes, he was moved to the Naval Station Norfolk, and later to the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, where he received training to be an aerial gunner.

While at Corpus Christi, Wadiak went through corrective surgery for a nasal ailment. Prior to enlisting, Wadiak had been hit in the nose with a hockey stick while playing field hockey in his home neighborhood. It ended in a deviated septum, but his family could not afford the cost of surgery. About 85% of his right nostril was obstructed, and Wadiak depended on inhalers daily to help open his nasal passages. He was able to have it repaired at Corpus Christi, after living two years with the problem.

Wadiak underwent an intense training at Corpus Christi. Aerial gunners were often cramped into tight spaces at very high altitudes on long missions. They had to fully understand how to fire weapons from a moving target at moving enemy aircrafts. He spent most of his early training being taught in classrooms about ammunition, the physics of air-to-air gunnery, the inner parts of machine guns, and how to quickly recognize enemy planes. Aerial gunner trainees were often required to be proficient at taking apart and rebuilding their artillery. Known as "stripping," the final test was performing it without error while wearing gloves and being blindfolded.

After finishing in the classroom, the trainees were taught how to use their artillery. The candidates at first fired at moving targets while staying stationery, but eventually progressed to firing at moving targets while on a moving object. After becoming proficient in these areas, the gunner was tested by their skills in an actual plane. As a test for the trainees, altitude chambers that replicated high-elevation circumstances were used by the military.

Wadiak never had to use his training in an actual conflict, and he was given honorable discharge from the Navy on June 1, 1946, after twenty-eight months of service. Medical records in early 1944, stated that when Wadiak enlisted he was 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. He had a resting heart rate of 88 and a waist size of 33 inches. Records at the time of his discharge list his weight as 178 pounds and his height as 5 feet, 8 inches. His resting heart rate had dropped to 74, and his waist size did not change.

Semi-professional career
Wadiak traveled back to his home in June 1946. His class work at the naval station in Corpus Christi gave him credit towards his Chicago Vocational high school diploma, which he received shortly after his discharge. He was recruited late in the year to play football for the Roseland Mustangs Athletic Club semi-professional team. He soon became one of the team's top players and helped them become one of the best in the Midwest.

Bill Milner, a player for the Chicago Bears and scout for University of South Carolina (USC) football coach Rex Enright, was told of "an unstoppable back (Wadiak) for the local Roseland Mustangs," and decided to attend one of their games. Milner saw Wadiak play "fearless football" on both sides of the ball, in every play of the game, and bring his team to a win. After the game ended, Milner found him resting on a sideline bench. He introduced him self to Wadiak, and the latter immediately recognized him as the Chicago Bears' offensive lineman. After exchanging pleasantries, Milner asked him, "Hey, kid, you ever think about going to college to play football?"

Knowing that nearly all of the professional players had attended college, Wadiak told Milner that he was interested in attending USC. Later, Milner called coach Rex Enright and described a "powerfully built, fast, tough kid who had the manners of a gentleman." In January 1948, Wadiak received a letter from Enright with a one-way train ticket to Columbia, South Carolina. The letter wrote that when Wadiak came, his skills would be evaluated and would determine whether or not he could play for the Gamecocks, the school's football team. There was no guarantee of any playing time, a scholarship, or a future at the school; only an assurance that Wadiak would be given a chance to make the roster.

While contemplating the offer, Wadiak finished his 1947 season with the Roseland Mustangs. In the league championship game, he led the Mustangs to a 21–0 upset win and scored three rushing touchdowns of 35, 40, and 87 yards.

Wadiak most likely received a small amount of money for the games he played for the Mustangs. By rules, this should have made him ineligible to ever play college football; however, there was inconsistent enforcement by the NCAA at the time.

Tryout
Wadiak packed a small amount of clothes and was soon on a train headed towards South Carolina, although he did not expect to make the team. After two days of travel, he arrived in Columbia. Enright sent South Carolina backup quarterback Pat Vella to pick up Wadiak at the train station. He met Wadiak on the train platform and introduced himself. Years later, Vella recalled his first impression of Wadiak: "He looked me square in the eye and shook my hand firmly. He had a look about him. I knew I was going to like this guy."

Vella drove Wadiak to the Carolina Field House, which was located on the corner of Sumter and Greene Street. He brought him into what was known as the "blue room," which was located next to the athletic locker rooms and was a meeting place for the coaches. There, stood coach Rex Enright along with the line coach Hank Bartos. "So, my good friend Bill Milner says the boys in the Chicago sandlots can't stop you," Enright said to Wadiak. "What do you say we let you put on some cleats and take you over to the field and let you stretch your legs a little."

Vella led Wadiak to the football locker room, where he was given a pair of cleats, gym shorts and a shirt that read "Property of USC Athletics." The two were joined by veteran end Red Wilson. After finishing getting dressed, they were led to practice at Melton Field. They went through several drills for about 45 minutes before coach Enright blew his whistle and stopped the practice. He told them he had seen enough, and instructed them to go the Field House and shower. While they were heading towards the Field House, the coach pulled Vella aside and asked him about Wadiak: "Do you think he can help us out?" Vella replied, "I do. I think he's a good tough kid who can play here."

Vella, Wadiak, and Wilson went to the locker room where they showered. Vella, seeing Wadiak shirtless, was impressed by his physique, and later said that "I thought I was looking at Charles Atlas. He had this muscular barrel chest and a massive neck. Not an ounce of fat on him. Just pure muscle."

Afterwards, Wadiak was led to coach Enright's office by Vella. Enright told Wadiak that he intended giving him a scholarship and a chance to play for USC: "We'll pay for your education, your housing, and your meals–and give you a little spending money every month. What we ask in return is that you go to class, stay out of trouble, and give us everything you got out there on the football field." Enright also stated that there was no guarantee of any playing time, all he could promise to Wadiak was a "fair shake of cracking the lineup." Wadiak accepted the offer.

First semester
The spring semester at the University of South Carolina had been in session for three weeks by the time Wadiak joined. He was led to the admissions office, where the registrar enrolled him in classes. He was told to declare physical education as his major, which was the department that was chaired by Coach Enright. He was signed up for 16 hours of class work and his classes included Introduction to Education, Grammar and Composition, and Art Appreciation, with the rest being related to physical fitness. As he had missed the first three weeks, Wadiak struggled in his classes, and in grammar class "felt as though the professor were speaking a foreign language." He dropped out of the grammar class shortly afterwards, as a friend told him that a failing grade could impact his chances of playing football.

The school's football practice began several days after Wadiak's arrival and lasted for six weeks. Although he was supposed to be on the freshman team, coaches decided he would be out of place there and let him join the varsity squad immediately. As the Gamecocks had much depth in the backfield, Wadiak went largely unnoticed at first, with coach Enright not even mentioning him in an interview about the team's backs. He was assigned fullback due to his stocky frame and the Gamecocks' need of an extra player at the position. In that role, he was largely a blocker and only carried the ball on short yardage plays. The coaches had no film of his previous football experience and so his "explosive" breakaway speed and other skills stayed mostly unnoticed.

At the end of spring practice, the Gamecocks were divided into two teams: Team Red and Team Black. The two teams played against each other at Melton Field on March 24, 1948. Wadiak was fullback for Team Red and his friend Pat Vella was their quarterback. Team Black, led by Bo Hagan, won 13–0. In the game, Wadiak made two carries, the first being a 12-yard gain around right end and the second being five yards up the middle.

After spring football practice ended, Wadiak was suggested by Coach Enright to join the South Carolina track team. Although he had never been trained to run track, and had an untypical 195-pound frame, Wadiak posted several impressive times. In a match versus Davidson College, he ran the 100-yard dash in 10.2 seconds, placing third. He ran 10.1 against Clemson and posted his best time of the season against Presbyterian at 10.0.

When his first semester of college ended, Wadiak returned to his home Chicago for the summer. He had struggled academically, recording one B grade, a withdrawal from English class and two D's.

Preseason
Sixty varsity football candidates, including Wadiak, began preseason football workouts in August 1948. The players met for breakfast each day at Stewart Hall and afterwards began a lengthy practice at Melton Field. The first week of practice was mainly calisthenics and conditioning, which were "designed to help the coaches determine who had kept in shape over the summer." One week following the beginning of workouts, the sixty varsity players were joined by forty freshman players. The first "order of business" was longstanding USC practice where the varsity players would cut the hair of the freshman players. Wadiak was a freshman and was supposed to go through with getting his hair cut, but he had "a head full of thick, neatly combed, wavy brown hair which he had no intention of parting." When being approached by a varsity member carrying scissors, Wadiak indicated that he refused to have his hair cut.

Several backs suffered injuries in practice and sophomore Freddie Bargiacchi left the team to play minor league baseball, which led to Wadiak receiving consideration to play left halfback.

Coach Enright scheduled a scrimmage game against North Carolina, who were coached by his close friend Carl Snavely, shortly before the regular season started. The North Carolina Tar Heels greatly outplayed the Gamecocks, and Coach Enright was frustrated at USC's inability to gain yards. Near the end of the match, Vella suggested putting Wadiak into the lineup. "Does he know the plays?" asked Enright. "Yeah, he knows the plays," replied Vella.

Once South Carolina got the ball back, Enright inserted Wadiak into the lineup, which had Vella at quarterback. In the huddle, Vella stared directly at Wadiak and said "Left quickie on two," which was his way of saying to him, "Now is your time to show them what you got." The "left quickie" play was designed to be a direct handoff to Wadiak, who was then supposed to follow blocking and go through a hole in the left side on the line. It was supposed to be a play that gained a few yards and helped start momentum. As soon as he received the ball, Wadiak went through the hole in the line and darted outside. He surprised the North Carolina defense and ran 60 yards all the way for a touchdown. His teammates on the sideline noticed and began to cheer, and afterwards Coach Rex Enright turned to backfield coach Al Grygo and asked, "Where have we been hiding him?"

After the Gamecocks received the ball again, Enright sent out Wadiak again to determine if the score was a fluke. "Give me the ball again," Wadiak said to Vella as he entered the huddle. The "left quickie" play was called again and upon receiving the handoff, Wadiak broke several tackles and ran for a 70-yard touchdown. While the Gamecocks were celebrating the score, Enright looked to the other sideline and saw a greatly surprised Carl Snavely.

While on the bus ride back to South Carolina, Enright erased Wadiak from the fullback slot on the depth chart and added him as backup left halfback, behind Jack Crouch.

Although Enright tried to keep Wadiak away from publicity, word of him began to spread, with a picture of Wadiak being shown in The State with a caption that read "Secret Weapon." A description of Wadiak in the same paper stated that he "appears to have the stuff of which stars are made." An article in The Columbia Record shortly before the season opener was titled "Tip Of The Week: Watch Wadiak." Jake Penland wrote in an article for The State that Wadiak would be "possibly the biggest single attraction" in the opener. Another picture of Wadiak was ran in a newspaper with the title "Headed for Stardom?"

In an editorial, sports reporter Jim Jackson wrote "Now matured, developed and seasoned, Steve Wadiak may be the fair-haired boy in southern conference circles for years to come. And, since it pours when it rains, he's got four whole years of eligibility. Save a spot on that All-American, Wahoo Wadiak is on the way."

Regular season
The team's regular season opener was scheduled against the for September 24. The game started at 8:15 p.m. Before the kickoff, the two captains met midfield for the coin toss. South Carolina won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. On the first play, running back Bishop Strickland fumbled and Newberry recovered. The Indians, however, could not gain any yards and were forced to punt. While the Gamecocks were on their next drive, Wadiak, on the sideline, was grabbed by backs coach Al Grygo, who told him to be ready to enter the game shortly.

Following two straight 30-yard runs by Red Harrison, fullback, Wadiak was sent in as a substitute for co-captain Jack Crouch at left halfback. On the first play, Wadiak recorded the first touch of his collegiate career: he received a pitch from quarterback Bo Hagan and ran around left end for a 12-yard gain. On the following play, quarterback Hagan threw a touchdown pass to Red Wilson, bringing South Carolina up 6–0. Newberry punted on their next possession and South Carolina scored a second touchdown after receiving the ball back. On the next Gamecocks drive, Wadiak was sent back into the game. After a 79-yard run by Bishop Strickland was called back due to penalty, Wadiak was given the next handoff and ran 30 yards through the line. In the fourth quarter, he scored his first touchdown on a two-yard carry. He finished the game with five rush attempts for 60 yards and one touchdown, as USC greatly outplayed Newberry and won, 46–0. In addition to playing on offense, Wadiak had seen time on defense as a defensive back and on special teams; however, coach Enright thought his skills "far too valuable" to have injured playing defense, so he kept Wadiak mainly on offense for the rest of the season.

In the week following the season opener, local media representatives "scrambled" to find as much information on Wadiak as they could. It began a "history of misinformation" on Wadiak that went on throughout his college career. Many local media outlets reported him as being a junior college transfer from Chicago, other reports incorrectly listed his age as 20, and his high school was a source of speculation and was subject to much incorrect reporting.

Despite knowing very little about Wadiak, local sports reporters heralded him as the next big star and a future All-American. An Associated Press (AP) article stated that he was possibly the "best find" of the season.

South Carolina then took a 100-mile trip to Greenville to face their first conference opponent of the season, the Furman Purple Hurricane. The Gamecocks won 7–0, scoring their only touchdown in the final three minutes. Wadiak saw little action in the game, only gaining two yards on four rushing attempts. Afterwards the South Carolina team traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to play the 1–1 Tulane Green Wave. After a scoreless first half, the Green Wave scored 14 unanswered points in the next two quarters to win 14–0. Wadiak appeared in the game as a substitute left halfback and made two rushes for two yards.

The next game for USC was their annual rivalry match with the Clemson Tigers, considered their biggest game of the season. The Gamecocks' opponent was 3–0 entering the game, having beaten Presbyterian, NC State, and Mississippi State. The Tigers used the single-wing offense and were led by All-American back Bobby Gage. The 1948 game was Wadiak's first time playing against Clemson, and his 26 teammates who were from South Carolina made sure that he knew the importance of the game. It wasn't until Wadiak stepped onto the field for gameday, however, that he realized how significant the event was.

The Carolina Stadium in Columbia had seats for around 17,000 fans, but nearly 25,000 were packed in the stadium for the Clemson–South Carolina matchup. There were portable bleachers that were added into the endzones and a large number of "standing room-only" tickets were sold to the fans. At the Gamecock 39-yard line four minutes into the game, quarterback Bo Hagan threw a lateral pass to Wadiak, who then began to run around the right end. Five Clemson defenders closed in on him as he turned upfield. Red Harrison, the Gamecock fullback was able to block two of them, and Wadiak subsequently cut to the left, leading to the other three defenders missing the tackle. Near midfield, a Clemson player closed in on Wadiak, who came to a momentary stop, making the defender flail unsuccessfully in the place where he thought Wadiak would be. He then sharply cut to the left and sprinted towards the endzone. He was eventually caught and tackled by the Clemson defense after gaining 43 yards, bringing the Gamecocks to the Clemson 25-yard line.

The crowd "erupted" for what was the biggest play of Wadiak's career at the time. Red Wilson caught a touchdown pass from Hagan two plays later to put USC up 7–0. Clemson was held scoreless for the rest of the first half, and the half ended with South Carolina up 7–0. At the end of the third quarter, the Tigers recovered a Bishop Strickland fumble deep in Gamecock territory. Three plays later, Clemson back Fred Cone attempted to score on a dive play. He was stopped at the two yard line, but then threw a lateral pass to teammate Carol Cox who ran untouched into the endzone. A missed extra point kept USC up by one point, 7–6. South Carolina began their next drive starting at their own 28-yard line. Following two runs by Bishop Strickland, the USC offense was faced with a 3rd and one situation. Wadiak was lined up in their T formation at left halfback. There were eight Clemson defenders crowded at the line of scrimmage, as Hagan turned and gave Wadiak the ball on a handoff. One Clemson player broke through the USC line and was closing in on making the tackle, but missed after Wadiak darted sharply to the left side. He then sprinted 46 yards before being shoved out of bounds at the Clemson 17-yard line. The Gamecocks' rushing attack of Wadiak and Bishop Strickland advanced the team to the Clemson 3-yard line.

Knowing a score would seal the game, and knowing USC could not afford a fumble, coach Enright sent in a play that had worked previously in the game: a pitch to Wadiak, who would then follow blocks around the right end. The play was a disaster from the start. As soon as the ball was snapped the interior of the offensive line collapsed, leaving the Clemson defenders unblocked into the backfield before Hagan could even give the ball. Hagan made the pitch to Wadiak, who was moving to the right side of the field. Wadiak had his jersey pulled after only a few steps, slowing him down. The Tigers' Johnny Poulos then rammed his shoulder into Wadiak's right arm, making him fumble the football. Poulos then recovered the ball at the Clemson 12-yard line, ending the Gamecocks' drive.

At the end of the next Clemson drive, Fred Cone missed a 23-yard field goal, allowing South Carolina to hold on to a 7–6 lead with about six minutes left. USC hoped to drain out the clock, but went three-and-out and had to punt. The punt by Hagan was blocked by Clemson's Phil Prince, and the ball was picked up by defender Oscar Thompson, who ran in for the touchdown to put the Tigers up 13–7.

On the sideline, Wadiak buckled his chinstrap and prepared for a chance to make up for the fumble he had made earlier. However, on the first play, Hagan threw a deep pass down the sideline that was intercepted, sealing the Tigers' victory 13–7. Wadiak finished the game with 10 rushing attempts for 91 yards, a 9.1 average per carry.

USC was not able to recover from the "devastion" of losing to Clemson. They only won one game in the rest of the season, finishing with a disappointing 3–5 record. One of the team's few "bright spots" in the season was Wadiak. Beginning with the first practice after the loss, Wadiak was driven by a desire to never again let his teammates down. He "practiced with a vengeance," going through each drill with "all-out abandon." When the practice ended, Wadiak often remained on the field and continued to practice. Coach Enright at one point approached Wadiak and told him to dial back his intensity, because he was "practicing too hard." Enright later recalled that he did not have to say that to any other player.

For the next game of the season, USC traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia, to play the West Virginia Mountaineers. Prior to the game, Wadiak was named the Southern Conference (SoCon) sophomore of the week, despite being a freshman. Against the Mountaineers, the Gamecocks lost 12–35 in an upset. Although Wadiak was in a backup role, he recorded 57 rushing yards on 12 attempts (a 4.75 average) and scored on a 20-yard touchdown catch.

After the game, coach Enright decided it was time for a personnel change. Although he rarely ever did this with freshmen, Enright named Wadiak starter at left halfback, ousting the team captain, Jack Crouch. The next game was at home against Maryland, and despite the latter being 13-point favorite, Enright declared that "We're going to whip Maryland, and Steve Wadiak is the lad who's going to do it for us. He's one of the best looking freshman backs I've seen in years, and he's ready."

Against Maryland, the Gamecocks lost 7–19 on a muddy playing field. Wadiak ran for 102 yards{{efn|Listed as 104 yards in an article by The State. on just eight attempts and a game recap by The State stated "Wadiak's running was brilliant all afternoon and he was Carolina's offensive star." His 102 rushing yards alone were more than the entire Maryland rushing attack.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=100}} Wadiak also made what was described as "the highlight of the game": scoring on a 70-yard{{efn|News reports contradicted on the length, with some reports listing lengths as short as 65 yards and others as long as 75 yards. }} touchdown run.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=100}} He additionally recorded two receptions for 13 yards and one kickoff return for 16 yards. The Columbia Record reported that he was "proving a thorn in the side of the winners all afternoon." Wadiak also saw time on defense, with a report saying he "knocked down two aerials that were true to their mark, one of them in the endzone to prevent what looked a certain touchdown." By that point in the season, Wadiak was tied for fifth in the state scoring with 18 points on three touchdowns.

After playing Maryland the Gamecocks traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to play the 0–6–1 Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=100}} Wadiak was reported as the "offensive star" of the match and scored two touchdowns in the first half, finishing with 106{{efn|Reported in The Columbia Record as 107 yards. }} total rushing yards as USC won 27–7. The first of his touchdowns was a four-yard rush around right end to finish a 34-yard opening drive. His second touchdown rush, 67 yards, was the "most spectacular play of the game" according to The Columbia Record. The paper reported that "after being trapped momentarily at the line of scrimmage he broke into the backfield, waited for his interference to take out the left halfback, then ran out several onrushing Hurricanes the remainder of the distance." The play brought USC up 20–0 in the second quarter and The State reported that it was "a pretty piece of running as you'd want to see." The game was Wadiak's second consecutive performance with over 100 rushing yards.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=100}}

After the game, Wadiak was named The Columbia Record back of the week. The paper reported, "Wadiak, with the amazing speed and broken-field prowess that zipped him through Clemson twice and on a 65 yard dash in the Maryland game, reached his peak at Tulsa. His four yard touchdown jaunt was described as even more difficult than the 67 yard sprint which dazzled the Hurricane. In all, he averaged 107 yards in the 10 times he carried the ball ... Both{{efn|Referring to Wadiak, back of the week, and Andy Kavounis, lineman of the week.}} had to beat out stirring performances by other stars. Carolina could name Bayard Pickett, Bishop Strickland and Roy Skinner as standouts while Clemson's whole team shone, especially Bobby Gage, Ray Mathews, Fred Cone, Oscar Thompson and Gene Moore. But Wadiak and Kavounis were the brightest, get top billing."

By the time USC had played seven games, Wadiak had made 51 rushing attempts and gained 420 yards, averaging 8.2 yards-perry-carry, which was "by far" the best on the team. The Gamecocks closed out their season with a 0–38 loss to Wake Forest on November 25. Wadiak's biography states that he finished the season with 420 rushing yards and a 8.2 average, which remains the highest average for a freshman in school history.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=100}} After the season, he was named second-team all-state as well as the most oustanding breakaway runner in an {{abbr|AP|Associated Press}} poll. He was also named an honorable mention All-America selection. Additionally, AP named Wadiak to their All-South sophomore team.

Wadiak scored 30 points on five touchdowns in his freshman season, placing him in a tie with Fred Cone (Clemson) for fourth in the state scoring, behind Ray Mathews (Clemson), Clarence Lowery (Erskine), and Miller (Clemson). He also placed eleventh in the Southern Conference in scoring.

At the end of the year, The Gamecock editor Jim Jackson summarized Wadiak's status on campus: "Steve Wadiak is a friendly, likeable fellow who loves to play football, has all the physical qualifications for doing so at almost any position and bids fair to become one of the school's outstanding athletes before he graduates."{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=101}}

Wadiak served as assistant coach for the Pi Phi–Tri Delta touch football game after the regular season ended, helping the Pi Phi team win in the annual "Powder Bowl" game.{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=101}}{{sfn|Chibbaro|2014|p=102}}

Preseason
Wadiak and Bishop Strickland were named the two starting running backs for the 1949 season. An article in The Coulmbia Record reported "In spring practice and early fall drills so far, the Chicago speedster [Wadiak] has been given overtime work on pass-receiving and haspleased the coaches with his development." An early September article in The Item reported "Enright was pleased to note his star running back, Steamin' Steve Wadiak, shows signs of becoming a pass-catcher as well. Wadiak teamed nicely with passers Bo Hagan and John Boyle."

Shortly before the season began, a report in the Rocky Mount Telegram stated "There is a very good chance that the University of South Carolina's top offensive halfback, Steve Wadiak, will be used heavily on defense on Saturday afternoons this fall. Head football Coach Rex Enright made the observation recently that Wadiak was just as efficient on defense as he has proven himself while lugging the pigskin. The Chicago, Illinois sophomore, who played varsity freshman ball last year as a GI, can carry the ball like an All-American, is the candidate for the top blocker on the Gamecock squad and can play defense better than any back on the field." Enright said "It's amazing what a fine all-round back Wadiak is developing into. Usually when you run into a flashy ball carrier, he doesn't particularly care to block or play defense. Steve is the best blocker we have in the backfield today and we are constantly using him as an example to the rest of the ball club." The Rocky Mount Telegram article continued: "There isn't a man on the 1949 Gamecock squad who works harder at the game than does Wadiak. In addition to the twice-a-day workouts early this month, the Chicago flash worked eight miles a day on a training bicycle in Jess Alderman's Conditioning Salon. To top this, he would take a couple extra laps before and after practice just to insure his physical condition when the season rolls around. Wadiak is a compact back, weighing in at 183 pounds while standing 5 feet, 8 inches, and he can throw that frame in any direction to avoid would-be tacklers."

Wadiak was given the nickname "Steamboat Steve" by teammates before the start of the 1949 season, for "the grunting sound he made as he carried the football under his arm." Some opposing players said that he "sounded like a steamboat whistle, a warning to steer clear."

Regular season
South Carolina opened their ten-game season in Waco, Texas, on September 24, playing against the Baylor Bears at Municipal Stadium. Before 15,000 fans, Wadiak was one of the "stars" of the game as the Gamecocks lost 6–20, "hit[ing] Baylor for consistent ground gains running from his left halfback post."

The Gamecocks played their first home game of the season the following week against Furman. Despite Furman coach Red Smith stating he expected his team to get beaten by four touchdowns, the Furman Purple Hurricane won 14–7 in a major upset. In the game, Wadiak recorded 16 rushes for 77 yards, a 4.8 average. However, late in the game at the opposing team's goal-line, Wadiak was hit from three sides and fumbled the ball; a recovery by a Furman player sealed the team's upset win. In a collision with a Furman player, Wadiak lost one of his front teeth.

After Furman, USC traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to play the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina, led by Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice, were heavy favorites, and won 28–13 over the Gamecocks. The Charlotte News reported that Wadiak was "ailing for the Gamecocks but played nonetheless."

The Gamecocks were then scheduled to play archrival Clemson in the annual "Big Thursday" game. Prior to the game, Gamecock fans developed a chant that drew attention to the USC tradition of buying a car for their coach if he could beat Clemson. They cheered: "Rickety rack, rickety rack, Give the ball to Wadiak! Rickety rack, rickety rack, Enright needs a Cadillac."

Jake Penland, sportswriter for The State, started referring to Wadiak as "The Cadillac" afterwards, which "permanently solidified" this as his nickname.

On October 20, a then-record 35,000 fans were packed into the recently-expanded Carolina Stadium. The game started at 2 p.m., and "started like it was headed for another disappointing Gamecock defeat," as Clemson took an early 13–0 lead following two interceptions from John Boyle passes. Both of the interceptions were passes thrown straight into the defenders' hands. After the second score by the Tigers, Wadiak awaited the kickoff near his own goal line. He remembered the prior year and how his fumble costed the Gamecocks a win. He did not want to relive that disapointment. After catching the kickoff, Wadiak ran 59 yards, giving USC excellent field position at the Tigers' 39-yard line.

When the Gamecock offense started to go onto the field, Enright sent in the injured Bo Hagan at quarterback instead of Boyle, whom he had lost confidence in. Hagan led USC to a touchdown on the drive, and two series later he led them to a second scoring drive, topped off with a two-yard Steve Wadiak rushing touchdown. At halftime, the game was tied 13–13. In the second half, USC dominated, being led by Hagan and the running of Wadiak, Bishop Strickland, and Chuck Prezioso. A long touchdown reception by Jim Pinkerton put South Carolina up 20–13 and later Hagan ran the ball in himself for a score to clinch the win, 27–13. Wadiak led the team in running with 88 yards on 20 attempts, ahead of Strickland (83 yards on 17 attempts) and Prezioso (68 yards on five attempts).

Following the game against Clemson, the Gamecocks traveled to College Park, Maryland, to face the 3–1 Maryland Terrapins. Maryland won, 44–7, in what was the worst loss of the season for South Carolina. Near the end of the fourth quarter, Wadiak "pulled off the longest running play of the game as he broke off tackle from his 43 and streaked down to the Maryland 21, where he was hit hard by three tacklers." His "neat running" on the next few plays led to their only touchdown of the game, a pass by John Boyle. An article in The State shortly after the game reported that he played good on defense as well: "Halfback Steve Wadiak is regarded is one of the finest running backs in this part of the country, but he turned in a nice defensive performance against Maryland ... His tackling was sharp and fierce." By this time in the season, Wadiak had ran 58 times for 266 yards, for an average of 4.5 yards per-carry.

The next game on the USC schedule had special importance to Wadiak. On November 5, South Carolina traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to play the Marquette Hilltoppers. Wadiak's brothers, Joe and Walter, as well as several of his childhood friends, made a two-hour trip from Chicago to Milwaukee to watch him play. Several other Gamecocks also had friends and family in attendance, including Pat Vella, Chuck Prezioso, Bob Kahle, Jack Shuetzner, Dave Sparks, and Harry Jabusch.

The USC offense was unable to get on track against Marquette, with multiple fumbles and numerous penalties contributing to a scoreless first half. By the third quarter, the Gamecocks had only crossed the 50-yard line once. Finally, trailing 3–0 near the end of the third quarter, South Carolina put together a drive that turned out to be the difference in the game. At the beginning of the drive, Wadiak took a handoff and ran for a 12-yard gain on the left side. Shortly afterwards, Prezioso took a handoff on a misdirection play and ran down the left sideline, gaining 30 yards before being taken down at the Marquette 40-yard line. The third quarter then expired. On the first play in the fourth quarter, quarterback Bo Hagan faked a handoff to Prezioso and made a quick pitch to Wadiak, who ran around right end and beat the defenders to the corner. He ran at full speed down the sideline before stopping suddenly at the Marquette 20, making a defender flail and miss the tackle completely. Wadiak then contiuned running forward and broke three tackles before finally being taken down at the Marquette 10-yard line. The members of the "Wadiak fan club" cheered with delight at seeing the spectacular run by their neighborhood friend.

Shortly afterwards, Prezioso received a pitch and ran around left end before being forced out-of-bounds at the Marquette one-yard line. On the subsequent play, Hagan called a quarterback sneak and scored a touchdown, putting USC up 6–3. The Marquette Hilltoppers were not able to come back, and the Gamecocks won 6–3. Wadiak finished the game third on the team in rushing with 69 yards on 17 attempts, a four yard average per-carry.

Following the Marquette game, coach Enright had his team attend the Green Bay Packers–Chicago Bears National Football League (NFL) game. They watched the Bears win, 24–3, being led by Johnny Lujack, who had assisted in coaching the Gamecocks in the offseason. As Wadiak stood in Wrigley Field, he turned to a friend and said, "Someday, this is where I hope to be playing football."

The subsequent game was played on November 11, in Miami, Florida, against the Miami Hurricanes. The Gamecocks lost, 7–13, with Wadiak running for 83 yard on 18 attempts. Wadiak, who also caught a 27-yard pass and scored USC's only touchdown, was described as "especially a thorn in the Hurricane flesh." A game was played eight days later against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who had compiled a 5–3 record by that time. For the first three quarters, South Carolina held a 3–0 lead, but Georgia Tech scored 13 points in the final period to win 13–3. The Charlotte Observer reported that Wadiak and his four "northern budies" (Bill Killoy, Chuck Prezioso, Harry Jabbusch, and Lon Ekimoff) "made Tech defenses look weak and stopped what little power Tech generated offensively."

Coach Billy Laval of Newberry College was asked to submit an all-state team in an Associated Press poll, and chose Wadiak as one of the two halfbacks, saying that an offense with Wadiak and Ray Mathews (Clemson) at halfback, Hank Witt (Newberry) at quarterback, and Fred Cone (Clemson) at fullback is "a backfield that has everything."

Entering their second-to-last game of the season, against Wake Forest, the Gamecocks had compiled a record of 2–6. By that point in the season, Wadiak had ran for 548 yards on 125 attempts (an average of 4.3 per-carry), which led all South Carolina players. On the first play of the game, Wadiak made a "brilliant" 63-yard rush which put the Gamecocks at the Wake Forest 19-yard line. He also scored on a 10-yard run, as USC won 27–20. Wadiak later received a homecoming trophy for his performance in the game and was named the team's most outstanding player of the match.

Prior to the final game of the season, Wadiak was named to the conference all-sophomore team by Associated Press. The season finale was played against The Citadel on December 3. The Gamecocks shut out The Citadel, winning 42–0, with Wadiak scoring three touchdowns. He scored from distances of four, nine, and 13 yards, and on the latter, according to an AP recap, "broke through the entire Citadel team" for the touchdown.

Wadiak finished his sophomore season with 775 rushing yards on 152 attempts, leading the Gamecocks and placing 15th nationally, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Bureau. He made an average of 5.1 yards per-carry, scored a total of six touchdowns, and also recorded eight receptions for 69 yards. For this, he was named second-team all-conference, although he was not mentioned in the all-state team.

Popularity and friends
By this point in Wadiak's career, he had reached "celebrity status" in the area. He was the most well-known student on campus and was among the most popular people in Columbia. He enjoyed walking the streets of the city, often on the way to one of his favorite eating establishments. At most local restuarants, Wadiak was given free meals because of his "celebrity status," with most business owners "understanding that having 'Th' Cadillac' dine in their establishment was always good for business."

Wadiak was "approachable and geniune," and his friend Bill Rutledge later recalled his personality, saying "Steve's friendliness was impressive. He had this ability to meet people and show a real interest in them. It drew people to him. It was amazing to see." When asked years later, several of Wadiak's friends stated that they never heard him complain about anyone or anything. They said that when he would be among a group that was "bad-mouthing" others, Wadiak would listen but never join in on the criticism.

Although Wadiak had a casual relationship with "almost anyone," there were a group of friends which he shared a deeper friendship, teammates Chuck Prezioso and Pat Vella being among these. Wadiak lived on the first floor of the Preston dormitory in a corner room, and was roomates with Bayard Pickett, a descendant of Confederate major general George Pickett. Prezioso lived in a room that shared a common bathroom with Wadiak and Pickett.

Wadiak was a "sharp and fasionable dresser." Thanks to the owners of several local men's clothing stores, Wadiak's clothes were "always neatly pressed, and he wore the latest fashions." The proprietors saw a market value in having the most popular athletes wear their clothing. Wadiak's room closet and dresser overflowed with pants, shirts, shoes, and accessories, and many of these items remained in the original plastic wrap due to him having more clothes than he could possibly wear. Noticing his large supply of clothing, Bayard Pickett often "borrowed" some of Wadiak's wares. Once, on a rainy day, Wadiak saw Pickett walking across campus wearing a new coat that the former had just acquired. "Hey, Bayard," Wadiak said. "Take my coat off." Pickett replied, "I can't due that, Steve. If I take your coat off, I'll get your suit wet."

Other times, Wadiak was not concerned with parting with his clothes. In the 1950 offseason, he was introuduced to Bob Korn, a recruit from West Virginia who had came from a coal-mining family. When Wadiak saw the tattered condition of Korn's clothes, he decided to take off his new starched shirt and give it to Korn. Korn told his children this story many times, and his daughter knew Wadiak as "the man who literally gave my father the shirt off his back." Another teammate who Wadiak was good friends with was John "Lip" LaTorre.

Adding to Wadiak's ability to enjoy his new home in South Carolina was that he rarely found himself short of cash. For his service in the Navy, he was receiving $120 a month from the government, and his athletic scholarship gave him a small monthly stipend as well. Also, sometimes Gamecock fans would discreetly give cash to their favorite players. Wadiak's teammate, Bob "Moose" Kahle, later recalled one of these instances: "I remember after one of our games, we were walking toward our bus to go back to the Field House, and this fan walked up to Steve and shook his hand," he said. "When he shook Steve's hand, he slipped him a hundred-dollar bill."

Entering his junior year, Wadiak purchased an automobile–a new 1950 Pontiac Catalina. The vehicle was two-toned, and had an ivory body with a rust-colored top. It included thick whitewalls and leather upholstery. The car's value at the time was approximately $2,000. Wadiak often drove the car with his friend John LaTorre. "He would come down to my room and say, 'Come on and ride with me to the post office,' or we might go up to Cogburn's Steak House on Sumter Street, and they would fix us a late night breakfast. He was always getting me to go somewhere with him," LaTorre later said.

Nearly every female student on campus wanted to meet Wadiak, and repeatedly, his teammates were being asked by co-eds to introduce them to him. At the beginning of his junior year, Wadiak met Nancy Fulmer, a sophomore from Springfield. He was "smitten," and, to the "disappointment of hundreds of USC co-eds, the most popular male student on campus" now officially had a girlfriend. They often dated at the Carovets Apartments, several miles north of the main campus. One of Wadiak's favorite places to visit and hang out at was the Five Points distrct, which featured a group of restaurants and retail shops located a few blocks away from campus.

In spring 1949, Wadiak was walking in Five Points and stopped and peered into the ABC Package Store. He noticed the walls of the store were lined with photos of South Carolina players, and stepped in. The store owner, Frank Chibbaro, a former Gamecock, quickly recognized him and invited Wadiak in. They introduced themselves and became close friends afterwards. Chibbaro, who was the sixth child of Italian immigrants, once told Wadiak that he never owned a pair of shoes that were exclusively his until entering USC (until then, he wore his brothers' hand-me-downs). By comparison, the Gamecock equipment manager once expressed confusion over Wadiak's unwillingness to wear anything new; Wadiak enjoyed wearing torn jerseys, and unlike many of his teammates, never asked for anything new. At the peak of his athletic career, he wore cleats that were badly worn and held together by athletic tape.

Preseason
In 1950, quarterback Bo Hagan, four-time all-state end Red Wilson, and the top two Gamecock linebackers all graduated. Coach Enright was not optimistic about the team's chances for the 1950 season, saying that "we just haven't got what it takes to come out on top in the win-loss column." They continued to have Wadiak as starting left halfback, Bishop Strickland on the right, and Chuck Prezioso at fullback, but other than these few players, Enright referred to the rest of the team's talent as "unclassified," and made sure that fans knew games were not won "on halfbacks alone."

On March 10, 1950, a poem appeared in The Gamecock titled "Steve Fever," which included the following excerpt: "Spring practice out on Melton Field– And eyes and tongues have not concealed Their interest in Wadiak– They see his shoulders, chest and back, But only heels and dust he shows To the mightiest Gamecock foes What makes the football monsters grieve? You've got your answer kid, it's Steve! All the way Wadiak– Enright wants a Cadillac!"

An article in the Associated Press shortly before the season began stated that the Gamecocks planned on using Wadiak heavily in 1950, ranking him "second to nobody when it comes to running with the pigskin."

Death
Steve Wadiak was killed in an auto accident.