Pheldarius Payne (born July 14, 2000) is an American football defensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Lackawanna College, Nebraska, and Virginia Tech.
| No. 72 – Houston Texans | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 14, 2000 Suffolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Nansemond River (Suffolk, Virginia) |
| College: | Lackawanna (2018–2019) Nebraska (2020–2021) Virginia Tech (2022–2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Early life and high school
editPayne grew up in Suffolk, Virginia, and attended Nansemond River High School.[1] At Nansemond River, he played football and during his senior season was an All-District and All-Region selection.[2] He committed to play college football at Lackawanna College.[3]
College career
editLackawanna College
editPayne spent two seasons at Lackawanna College.[1] He helped Lackawanna advance to the 2019 NJCAA National Championship Game.[3]
Payne committed to NC State before his sophomore season, but flipped his commitment to Nebraska after a visit to their campus.[4]
Nebraska
editDuring his first season at Nebraska, Payne switched to playing outside linebacker and appeared in every game of the season.[5] During his second season, he appeared in the first ten games before being sidelined by and injury.[5] On February 28, 2022, Payne opted to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[6]
Virginia Tech
editAfter two seasons at Nebraska, Payne transferred to Virginia Tech.[1] Before the start of the 2022 season, Payne suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture.[7] He returned for the 2023 season and appeared in all 13 games for the Hokies.[5]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
286 lb (130 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) |
4.87 s | 1.65 s | 2.83 s | ||||||
| All values from Pro Day[8] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, Tipton signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.[9] Payne was also selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL during the third round of the 2024 UFL draft, but chose not to sign with them.[10]
He was waived by the Texans with an injury designation on July 17, 2024.[11][12] On August 12, 2024, the Texans re-signed Payne.[13]
Personal life
editPayne is the son of Phelton and Johnnetta Payne.[3] In fifth grade, Payne won a Pop Warner National Championship.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Bitter, Andy (March 21, 2022). "Pheldarius Payne transfers to Virginia Tech". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Carter, Matt (July 23, 2019). "TheWolfpackCentral - NC State leading for DL Pheldarius Payne". ncstate.rivals.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Pheldarius Payne - Football 2021". huskers.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Lackawanna College's Pheldarius Payne took a winding path to Nebraska. Now he'll give the Husker D-line a needed jolt". Lackawanna College. June 27, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Pheldarius Payne - Football 2023". Virginia Tech Athletics. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Olson, Andrew (March 22, 2022). "Former Nebraska defender Pheldarius Payne announces transfer destination". Saturday Tradition. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Tim (July 22, 2022). "Virginia Tech DE Pheldarius Payne Likely Out For the Season". The Tech Lunch Pail. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Pheldarius Payne College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Davis, Coty (May 5, 2024). "Houston Texans' Pheldarius Payne Ranked Amid Best Undrafted Free Agents". Houston Texans On SI. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Ozmon, Zach (July 17, 2024). "UDFA DE Pheldarius Payne Drafted No. 5 Overall in the Third Round of UFL Draft". Virginia Tech Hokies On SI. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Pheldarius Payne: Cut by Houston". CBSSports.com. July 18, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Draft sees Virginia Tech standout selected after being waived by NFL team". Fighting Gobbler. July 18, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (08-12-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.