John Stephens Jr. (born September 23, 1999)[1] is an American professional football tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL draft.
| No. 81 – Dallas Cowboys | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 23, 1999[1] Logansport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 221 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Logansport (Logansport, Louisiana) |
| College: | |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Injured reserve |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early years
editStephens attended Logansport High School, which had a total enrollment of just 175 students. He was a two-way player at wide receiver and defensive lineman.
As a senior, he registered 1,001 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns and 64 solo tackles (12 for loss). He contributed to his 1A program having a 13-1 record and reaching the state semifinals.[2]
College career
editTCU
editStephens accepted a football scholarship from Texas Christian University. As a true freshman, he played in eight games off the bench, making 2 receptions for 58 yards (29-yard avg.). He had a 47-yard reception against the University of Oklahoma.
As a sophomore, he appeared in 12 games, tallying 11 receptions for 157 yards (14.3-yard avg.). He had 3 receptions for 40 yards against Texas Tech University.
As a junior, he appeared in 5 games, making only one reception for 5 yards (against Kansas State University).
UL Lafayette
editStephens transferred after his junior season to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As a senior in 2021, he collected 13 receptions for 167 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 3 receptions for 48 yards and one touchdown against Nicholls State University. He made 3 receptions for 37 yards and 2 touchdowns against Ohio University.
As a super senior in 2022, he was a backup wide receiver, compiling 14 receptions for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had 3 receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown against Eastern Michigan University. He made 3 receptions for 47 yards against the University of Houston.
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+1⁄2 in (1.97 m) |
232 lb (105 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.67 s | 1.55 s | 2.65 s | 4.37 s | 7.19 s | 36 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
20 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[3] | ||||||||||||
Stephens was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2023 NFL draft on May 12.[4] He was converted into a tight end during training camp. He was trending toward making the roster, before suffering an ACL injury in the second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was placed on the injured reserve list on August 29, 2023.[5]
On October 24, 2024, it was announced that Stephens had suffered another torn ACL in practice, and would miss the remainder of the season.[6]
Personal life
editStephens is the son of the late NFL Pro Bowl running back, John Stephens.[7] His stepsister is former 2017 U.S. Open tennis champion Sloane Stephens.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "John Stephens Jr". ourlads.com. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Role Call: John Stephens Jr. Brings Size & Redzone Ability". Dallascowboys.com. July 13, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout John Stephens Jr. College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "LIVE: Tracking the UDFA's Being Linked to Dallas". dallascowboys.com. April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys' John Stephens: Officially on IR". cbssports.com. August 30, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys lose John Stephens Jr. to season-ending injury". dallascowboys.com. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ "TCU signs son of late NFL RB John Stephens". December 17, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ Lang III, Roy (August 12, 2023). "Logansport's John Stephens Jr., a former UL standout, stars in Dallas Cowboys debut". The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate. Retrieved September 2, 2024.