Pheldarius Payne (born July 14, 2000) is an American professional football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football for Lackawanna College, Nebraska, and Virginia Tech.
| 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) |
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
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] He was waived on August 27.[14]
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.
- ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (08-27-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. August 27, 2024.