Travis Stephens

Travis Stephens
No. 25, 34, 36
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1978-06-26) June 26, 1978 (age 46)
Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight:194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Northeast (Clarksville)
College:Tennessee
NFL draft:2002 / round: 4 / pick: 119
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:1
Receiving yards:6
Touchdowns:0
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Travis Tremaine Stephens (born June 26, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team All-American after setting the school's single-season record for rushing yards (1,464) in 2001. He played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft with the 119th overall pick.[2]

Early life

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Stephens attended Northeast High School in Clarksville, Tennessee. He played football for Northeast.[3] He was a three-year starter at wingback and tailback on offense and linebacker and safety on defense. He rushed for a school-record 2,550 yards and 23 touchdowns in his junior season. In addition, he recorded 87 tackles and two interceptions as a free safety on defense. As a senior, he rushed for 991 yards and eight touchdowns despite having to deal with an ankle injury.[4] Stephens committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football under head coach Phillip Fulmer.[5]

College career

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1997 season

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In Stephens's freshman season with the Volunteers, he was part of a strong backfield that contained Jamal Lewis and Shawn Bryson. On the season, he recorded nine rushes for 36 yards.[6] In the 1998 Orange Bowl loss to Nebraska, Stephens did not record any statistics but did appear late in the game. Tennessee scored a touchdown late and on the two-point conversion, Stephens caught a pass from quarterback Tee Martin in the fourth quarter.[7]

1998 season

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In Stephens's sophomore season, he saw more work despite being in a crowded backfield with Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, and Shawn Bryson. He would record 107 rushes for 477 yards and four touchdowns. In addition, he had two receptions for three yards in regular season play.[8] Tennessee completed an undefeated 13–0 season in the 1998 season.[9] The season culminated in the Fiesta Bowl where the Volunteers defeated the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 23–16.[10] In the National Championship, Stephens had 13 carries for 60 yards.[11]

1999 season

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Stephens was redshirted in the 1999 season due to continued trend of a crowded backfield.[12] With Stephens redshirting, Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry did most of the rushing for the Volunteers in 1999.[13]

2000 season

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As a redshirt junior, Stephens entered the 2000 season with Travis Henry to form a solid combination of running backs for the 8–4 Volunteers.[14] On the season, he had 81 carries for 359 yards and seven touchdowns in regular season play. In addition, he had six receptions for 28 yards in regular season play.[15]

2001 season

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In his redshirt senior season, Stephens was the number one running back for the 11–2 Volunteers.[16] On the season, he had 291 rushes for a single-season school-record 1,464 yards and ten touchdowns.[17] In addition, he had 19 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown in regular season play.[18] In the 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl, Stephens had 16 carries for 38 yards, one rushing touchdown, and one reception for 19 yards in the 45–17 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.[19] He earned All-American honors for the 2001 season.[17]

In his collegiate career at Tennessee, Stephens had 488 rushes for 2,338 yards and 21 touchdowns in regular season play. In addition, he recorded 27 receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown in regular season play.[20]

Statistics

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Travis Stephens Rushing Receiving
Year School Conference Rushing Rushing Yards Average Touchdowns Receiving Receiving Yards Average Touchdowns
1997 Tennessee SEC 9 36 4.0 0 0 0 0 0
1998 Tennessee SEC 107 477 4.5 4 2 3 1.5 0
2000 Tennessee SEC 81 359 4.4 7 6 28 4.7 0
2001 Tennessee SEC 291 1,464 5.0 10 19 169 8.9 1
Career 488 2,336 4.8 21 27 200 7.4 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 8+1⁄8 in
(1.73 m) 		194 lb
(88 kg) 		29+3⁄4 in
(0.76 m) 		8+3⁄4 in
(0.22 m)		 4.56 s 1.70 s 2.73 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		 15 reps
All values from NFL Combine[21]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Stephens was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round with the 119th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.[22] In a game against the New Orleans Saints on September 8, he had one reception for six yards.[23] His one reception would be his only meaningful recorded statistic in his NFL career. He was considered part of the team when they won Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders.[24] Stephens was released from the Buccaneers before the 2003 season.[25]

Houston Texans

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The Houston Texans signed Stephens to a futures contract before the 2004 season.[26] He was eventually allocated to NFL Europe and placed on their exempt/injured list.[27] After this stint with the Texans, Stephens' professional career ended.

Personal life

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Since his days as a football player, Stephens has continued to stay in the game. In 2017, he helped out with youth football camps in Jackson, Tennessee with some other Tennessee alumni.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Travis Stephens". Pro Football Reference.
  2. ^ "Travis Stephens Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Robinson, George (October 19, 2018). "Northeast quarterback, running back wearing jersey numbers of former standouts Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Travis Stephens for crucial region game". The Leaf-Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ "34 TRAVIS STEPHENS" (PDF). CBS Sports Network. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  5. ^ Staples, Andy (June 22, 2014). "The story behind Tennessee's landmark 2014 recruiting class". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "1997 Tennessee Volunteers Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "1998 Orange Bowl". Nebraska Cornhuskers Athletics. January 2, 1998. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  8. ^ "1998 Tennessee Volunteers Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "1998 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Markus, Don (January 5, 1999). "Tenn. 1-ups Florida State; Magical 13–0 Vols make doubts vanish with 23–16 victory 79-yard Price TD seals it; UT unanimous choice in AP vote; Ohio St. 2nd". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  11. ^ "28th Annual Fiesta Bowl – Fiesta Bowl". Fiesta Bowl. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  12. ^ "Marcus Jackson, Travis Stephens, and 2015". Rocky Top Talk. October 9, 2013. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  13. ^ "1999 Tennessee Volunteers Stats". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  14. ^ "2000 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  15. ^ "2000 Tennessee Volunteers Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "2001 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Travis Stephens – Football". University of Tennessee Athletics. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  18. ^ "2001 Tennessee Volunteers Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "2002 Citrus Bowl, University of Michigan Athletics". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  20. ^ "Travis Stephens College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  21. ^ "Travis Stephens College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  22. ^ "2002 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  23. ^ "New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – September 8th, 2002". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  24. ^ "Travis Stephens Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  25. ^ "Dudley, Stephens among Bucs' cuts". ESPN.com. August 31, 2003. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  26. ^ "Travis Stephens, RB, Free Agent". KFFL.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  27. ^ "Texans Finish Third in AFC South and Set a Franchise Mark With Seven Wins" (PDF). Houston Texans. January 24, 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  28. ^ Shields, Brandon (June 3, 2017). "Vols alumni help out with youth football camps in Jackson". The Jackson Sun. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
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