The son of college and professional football coach Dick Coury, Steve Coury attended Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon where he played wide receiver, before moving on to Oregon State in 1976. Despite the team's overall poor performance during the years he played (the team won just 8 games in his four seasons), Coury was named an All-American in 1979. Following his college career, Coury played one season with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League.