Stephen PanasukQuarterbackNew Egypt Highschool La Salle University
|pastteamsnote=yes|status=
Stephen Panasuk (;[1] born January 19, 1989) is a former American football quarterback.
Panasuk attended Grafton High School in Virginia for his first three years and played wide receiver. In 2006, he moved back to New Jersey and played his senior season as a quarterback for the New Egypt High School Warriors in the New Egypt section of Plumsted Township.[2]
Panasuk attended La Salle University upon graduation from high school. He played in eight games as a true freshman in 2007, completing 38 of 96 passes for 373 yards, 3 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.[3] Following the 2007 season, La Salle ended its football program and allowed all their players to transfer to other schools to continue playing football.
Panasuk chose Wagner College to continue his football career,[4]
Panasuk began his professional career with the Kentucky Drillers of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL).[5] He started 5 games before leaving for the Wyoming Cavalry.
Panasuk quickly left the Drillers to join the Wyoming Cavalry of the Indoor Football League (IFL).[6] Panasuk played in nine games, starting seven, during his rookie year with the Cavalry.
Panasuk returned to New Jersey in 2014 when he joined the Trenton Freedom of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). During the 2014 season, Panasuk served as the backup to Warren Smith, who would go on to win the PIFL MVP.[7]
In 2015, Panasuk played in 10 games for the Freedom, completing 63% of his passes for over 1,800 yards and 38 total touchdowns.
Panasuk joined the Wichita Force of Champions Indoor Football (CIF) in 2016.[8] He led the Force to a 5–2 record, completing 61% of his passes for 1,084 yards and 32 total touchdowns before signing with Cleveland.
On April 26, 2016, Panasuk was assigned to the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League (AFL), where he finished the 2016 season.
Panasuk signed with the High Country Grizzlies of the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2017 season. He played in 8 games for the Grizzlies, completing 131 of 239 passes for 1,318 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also scored four rushing touchdowns.[9]
On October 25, 2017, Panasuk signed with the Jersey Flight of the NAL.[10] However, the team failed to meet the league's minimum obligations prior to the release of the 2018 schedule and was subsequently removed from the league without playing a game.[11] A few days later, the Flight announced they had joined the American Arena League (AAL).
Panasuk would be voted 2018 AAL QB of the year after leading the team to a 7–3 record. He amassed 2,000 passing yards and accounted for 68 total touchdowns to only 7 interceptions on the year.
In May 2019, Panasuk came out of his brief retirement and signed with the West Virginia Roughriders of the AAL prior to the last regular season game. The team went on to win the 2019 AAL Championship. It is his second professional championship. Panasuk saw limited action in relief of former West Virginia University quarterback Jarret Brown. In 1 regular season game and 3 post season games, Panasuk accounted for 362 yards and 7 total touchdowns.
Panasuk has been a resident of Jackson Township, New Jersey.[12]