Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The Mountaineers have been a membe ...
, earning
unanimous All-American honors in 2006. He was chosen by the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
in the third round of the
2008 NFL draft
The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...
. Slaton also played for the NFL's
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
and the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
(CFL). He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 2025.
Early life
Slaton was born in
Yardley, Pennsylvania. He was one of six children of Carl Slaton and Juanita Tiggett-Slaton. Until
first grade
First grade (also 1st Grade or Grade 1) is the first year of formal or compulsory education. It is the first year of elementary school, and the first school year after kindergarten. Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old.
Examples ...
, congestion in his ears rendered Slaton completely
deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
at times. In
fifth grade
Fifth grade (also 5th Grade or Grade 5) is the fifth or sixth year of formal or compulsory education. In the United States, this is mostly the last grade of primary school, but for some states, it could be the first year of middle school. Primary ...
, his sister died of
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
.
Slaton attended Immaculate Conception Elementary School, from kindergarten until eighth grade. During his attendance he was part of the track team.
Playing for
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in
Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, Slaton made the varsity football team as a
freshman
A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...
. He was named captain as a senior, was the most valuable player of the
Philadelphia Catholic League
The Philadelphia Catholic League is a high school sports league composed (as of the 2012-13 year) of 18 Catholic High Schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania suburbs. The league itself was founded in the summer of 1920 on the step ...
, and was a four-year all-conference selection. As a
senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
, he rushed for 1,836 yards and 26
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. He was a first team all-state as a
junior and senior. He rushed for more than 6,000 career yards and 73 touchdowns, setting five school records. Slaton was invited to, but did not participate in, the annual
Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is an All-star game, all-star American football game featuring the top high school football, high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1958 in sports, 1958, the game is often described as the "Super B ...
.
Slaton was also a
track star in high school. He participated in various sprint events, and at one point recorded the sixth-best long jump across all high schools in the United States in 2004.
Slaton received offers to go to college from
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
and
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
, but chose
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, but mainly as a defensive back. Slaton had originally chosen Maryland for his college, but they ended up passing a scholarship on him, instead going with
Morgan Green.
College career
Slaton enrolled at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
, where he played for coach
Rich Rodriguez
Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia Mountaineers football, West Virginia University, his second sti ...
's
West Virginia Mountaineer football team from 2005 to 2007.
2005 season
Slaton began his true freshman year as the fourth string running back. He saw his first action in the second game of the season, versus
Wofford. After not getting any carries the next two games, he led the team with 90 yards rushing on eleven carries against #3
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
. Slaton got his first ever start of his career in the next win against
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
, rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Slaton had one of the most memorable games in WVU football history in the next game versus
Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. After trailing 17–0 at Halftime, Slaton and the Mountaineers rallied from a 24-7 4th Quarter deficit to win the game 46–44 in triple overtime. After making an onside kick that led to the tying score, the Mountaineers headed into overtime with the Cardinals. Slaton finished the game with 188 yards on 31 carries and five rushing touchdowns. Slaton also had his first receiving touchdown of the season. His six touchdowns are a WVU and Big East record. He was named the Walter Camp, USA Today, and Rivals.com national player of the week and was also named the Big East player of the week. Slaton added 71 yards on 17 carries in a nationally televised Big East game with
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, but Slaton left the game early after an injury to his wrist.
Slaton had another 100-yard performance, against
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, gaining 129 yards on 25 carries and scoring four touchdowns. Slaton scored three more touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in the next game, against
Pitt. Slaton had 179 yards rushing on 34 carries as West Virginia beat Pitt, 45–13. In the final Big East game of the season, Slaton had 86 yards on 28 carries and one touchdown against the
South Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...
Bulls. West Virginia finished the regular season 10–1 and 7–0 in the Big East, earning the school a bid in the Nokia Sugar Bowl, while Slaton finished the season with 1,128 yards on 205 attempts with 17 touchdowns.
WVU defeated the
University of Georgia Bulldogs in the 2005
Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 2, 2006. Slaton was named the Sugar Bowl MVP, gaining a new Sugar Bowl record of 204 yards on 26 carries and scoring three touchdowns. His game was highlighted by a pair of 52-yard touchdown runs. Slaton's 204 yards were not only a Sugar Bowl record, but the second most rushing yards ever in a BCS game. In a May 19, 2008, ranking,
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
ranked Slaton's performance in the
2006 Sugar Bowl as the #5 best ever in a BCS bowl game.
2006 season

Slaton recorded his second straight 200-yard performance by putting up 203 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns against instate rival
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
in the first game of his sophomore season. Playing only the first two series of the
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...
game, Slaton was still able to get 105 yards on only eight carries and scoring two touchdowns. Slaton performed in front of a national audience while gaining 149 yards in the first quarter alone against
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, finishing the game with 195 yards on 21 carries and adding another two touchdowns. Slaton helped the highly ranked Mountaineers to their fourth win of the season by gaining 80 yards on 24 carries against
East Carolina.
Slaton finished with 185 yards on 26 carries and scored his seventh touchdown of the season, against
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
, as the Mountaineers moved to 5–0 on the season. In the first
Big East
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
game of the season, against the
Syracuse Orangemen, Slaton carried the ball 20 times for 163 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown run. On a Friday night game in front of a national audience against the
Connecticut Huskies, Slaton carried the ball nineteen times for 128 yards, including a career-high 56-yard touchdown run.
Slaton finished with 156 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in a 44–34 loss to
Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. Slaton had two costly fumbles on consecutive snaps to start the third quarter. Slaton sat out the rest of the third because he was unable to grip the ball after taking a helmet to his elbow. In the ninth game of the season, Slaton exploded for runs of 65 and 63 yards to help WVU bounce back and beat Cincinnati 42–24, finishing with 148 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries. In the 99th meeting of the
Backyard Brawl against Pitt, Slaton became the first Mountaineer to ever have more than 100 yards rushing (215) and 100 yards receiving (130) in the same game, also having two rushing and two receiving touchdowns. The 215 yard performance, which was a career-high, came on 23 carries and his 130 yards receiving. In the final regular season game, in front of a national audience, Slaton helped lead the Mountaineers to a 41-39 triple overtime victory against Rutgers. Slaton gained 112 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns, including one in overtime.
Slaton finished the season with 1,744 yards on 248 carries with 16 touchdowns, despite a wrist injury all season. Slaton's 1,744 yards ranked third in the nation, while his average yards per run was ninth and his touchdown total was tied for eighth. His yardage was a West Virginia rushing record for a season, breaking
Avon Cobourne's record of 1,710 yards, and was 22nd in West Virginia's record book for most total offense in a season. Slaton's 360 receiving yards are the second most in a season by a running back in school history as well, behind legendary fullback
Jim Braxton's 565 yards, while his 27 receptions were tied for third most by a back in a season. Slaton's 2,104 yards from scrimmage is a West Virginia season record as well. In the season, Slaton and quarterback Pat White combined for 2,963 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns. They also combined for 4,978 total yards and 49 total touchdowns together on the season, the second-best output between the two in their three-year career together.
2007 season
In the first game of the season against
Western Michigan
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...
, Slaton struggled rushing early as the Broncos keyed in on him, but ended with 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns and 61 receiving yards on two receptions and a touchdown as the Mountaineers won 62–24. In the second week of the season, Slaton had 146 yards on 24 carries and touchdown runs of one yard and 18 yards while the Mountaineers beat Marshall 48–23 in front of the largest crowd ever at
Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell County, West Virginia, Cabell and Wayne County, West Virginia, Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The County seat, seat of Cabell County, the city is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, O ...
. In this game, Slaton became the third Mountaineer to surpass 3,000 rushing yards in his career.
In the third game of the season against
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, Slaton and the Mountaineers beat the Terps 31–14. Slaton finished the game with 26 carries for 137 yards and three touchdowns, including Slaton's longest run which was a 22-yard touchdown. Slaton earned the
Wrangler Player of the Game honors presented by
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. In the following game against ECU, Slaton tied the school record scoring his 42nd rushing touchdown of his career and finished the game with 18 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown along with three receptions for 42 yards as the Mountaineers won 48–7. In the fifth game of the season, Slaton, for the third year in a row, was held under 100 yards rushing by
South Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...
—finishing the game with just 55 yards on 13 carries as WVU suffered their first loss of the season. Against Syracuse, Slaton had 69 yards on 15 carries and 51 yards on four receptions in the 55–14 win. The following game against Mississippi State, which was homecoming for the Mountaineers, Slaton rushed for 127 yards on 23 carries for one touchdown in the 38–13 win. Slaton's touchdown put him in the record books as the school's all-time leading scorer on the ground, passing
Ira Rodgers and
Avon Cobourne with 43 rushing touchdowns.
At #25 Rutgers, Slaton had 16 carries for 73 yards and three touchdowns but also had a reception for 51 yards on a screen pass. Against Louisville, Slaton had 17 carries for 60 yards but a touchdown in the 38–31 win. At that point, Slaton had been held under 100 yards rushing for four of the previous five games. The next week however, in the 28–23 win against #22 Cincinnati, Slaton earned the gameball from ESPN after rushing 23 times for 108 yards and a touchdown, also while catching three passes for a team-high 48 yards. Slaton's rushing touchdown set a school record for most career points scored by non-kickers with 318 points in his career and his 151 all-purpose yards placed him second on the career school list with 4,690 yards.
Slaton and the Mountaineers clinched the 2007 Big East Championship with a 66–21 win over #20 Connecticut. Slaton had a sub-par performance, rushing for 54 yards and two touchdowns on ten carries and grabbing two receptions for 11 yards. However, he surpassed 1,000 yards on the season on a 31-yard touchdown run for the third straight year; and by him surpassing 1,000 yards on the season, Slaton and Patrick White both surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season, a feat that made them only the third pair in FBS history to ever do so. The next week however, the #2 Mountaineers fell to 5–7 Pitt in the Backyard Brawl 13–9 to end their National Championship hopes. In the loss, Slaton only carried the ball nine times for eleven yards. Slaton was named to second-team all-
Big East
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
and was also awarded the team's Coaches Contribution Award by former head coach
Rich Rodriguez
Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia Mountaineers football, West Virginia University, his second sti ...
.
Slaton finished the regular season with 1,053 yards on 210 carries for a tying season-high 17 touchdowns. He also had 25 receptions for 348 yards and a touchdown. Slaton and quarterback Patrick White combined for 43 total touchdowns, more than 67 Division I-A teams that season. They also combined for 5,460 total yards, the best output by the two in their three-year career together. Their three-year career together ended with 13,433 total yards and 106 total touchdowns combined, cementing themselves as one of the greatest duos in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
history.
In the 48–28
Fiesta Bowl victory under interim head coach
Bill Stewart, Slaton left the game early in the first quarter with a leg injury after rushing one time for -2 yards and catching one pass for two yards.
Slaton was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 2025.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
2005
* Named
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...
,
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
,
Rivals.com national player of the week and the Big East player of the week for the October 15, 2005, game against Louisville.
* Named first-team freshman All-America by Rivals.com, second team
The Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
,
Collegefootballnews.com, Scout.com.
*Named as the
Big East
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
rookie of the year, the
ECAC rookie of the year, and second team All-Big East his freshman season.
* Named 2006
Nokia Sugar Bowl MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
after rushing for 204 yards on 26 carries and scoring three touchdowns in a 38–35 WVU victory.
2006
* Slaton, QB Pat White, and FB
Owen Schmitt were featured on one of the six regional covers of the 8/21/06 issue of
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
, as part of their "Big Men On Campus" article and their 2006-2007 college football season preview. Slaton was named West Virginia's "Big Man On Campus" in the same issue.
* Slaton and White were featured on the cover of an ''Athlon Sports'' 2006 magazine.
* Named Big East Player of the Week following the
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
game on September 2, 2006.
* Slaton was named as a semi-finalist for the 2006
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, which is presented to the Collegiate Player of the Year.
* Slaton was named as one of ten players to watch for the 2006
Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year.
* Slaton was named as a finalist for the 2006
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Foot ...
.
* Slaton was named as a Football Writers of America All-American, an American Football Coaches Association All-American, a First Team AP All-American, a The Sporting News All-American, to the Scout.com First Team All-American and All-Big East Team, All Big East First Team, first team Walter Camp All-American, to the ECAC D-I All-Star team, and second team All-American by SI.com for the 2006 season.
* Slaton finished 4th in the 2006
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
race behind
Troy Smith,
Darren McFadden and
Brady Quinn. Slaton finished with 6 1st place votes, 51 2nd place votes, and 94 3rd place votes for 214 total points.
* Finished tied for 4th in the AP Player of the Year in 2006.
* Slaton was named the 2006 Scout.com Big East Offensive Player of the Year.
* Named the Outstanding Amateur Athlete of the Year by the
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
Sports Writers Association.
2007
* Slaton was featured on the cover of a ''
Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' Big East and
ACC college football magazine.
* Slaton was featured on the cover of a July 10, 2007, ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
Sports Weekly'' magazine.
* Slaton was featured on
Sports Illustrated's College Football Preview edition before the 2007 season. At the conclusion of the season, SI.com rated his cover the #1 most popular cover of 2007.
* Slaton and Pat White were featured on the cover of a 2007 pre-season ''Athlon Sports'' magazine.
* Slaton was selected for the
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
, Athlon, and
Lindy's All-American team for the preseason.
* Slaton was a consensus preseason First-team All-
Big East
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
selection.
*
SI.com named Slaton one of the most fun athletes to watch, comparing his running style to
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
.
* Slaton started the 2007 season ranked #2 on
ESPN's Heisman Watch list posted on August 13, 2007.
* Slaton and teammate Pat White were named to the Maxwell Award watch list.
2025
*
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
inductee
Records
Game
* Most touchdowns scored in a single game by a WVU player – 6 (October 15, 2005, vs. Louisville)
* Tied with
Willis McGahee with the most touchdowns and points scored by a Big East player – 6 touchdowns, 36 points. (October 15, 2005, vs. Louisville)
* Most rushing yards in a Sugar Bowl game – 204
* First Mountaineer to ever have 100 yards rushing (215) and 100 yards receiving (130) in the same game.
* Slaton and White became only the third tandem in NCAA D-I history to both rush for 200+ yards in the same game. (November 16, 2006, vs. Pittsburgh)
* Second most points scored in a single game by a WVU player – 36 (October 15, 2005, vs. Louisville)
Season
* Most rushing yards in a season in WVU history – 1,744
* Most all purpose yards in a season in WVU history – 2,104
* Tied for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games in WVU history with six.
* Most rushing yards in Big East history by a true freshman (3rd most by any freshman) – 1,128 yards
* Ranks first (19) and third (18) for most touchdowns (rushing and receiving) in a season
* Ranks second in WVU history for most receiving yards by a running back – 360
* Ranks third for freshman rushing in WVU history – 1,128 yards
* Ranks third in WVU history for most receptions by a running back – 27
* Ranks fourth (17) and sixth (16) for most rushing touchdowns in a season.
* Finished fourth in rushing yards per game(134.15), second in all-purpose yards per game (161.85), thirds in rushing yards (1,744), ninth in yards per carry (7.0), eight in rushing touchdowns (16), and seventh in touchdowns scored (18) in the nation during the 2006 season.
* Ranks sixth in WVU history in rushing attempts in a season – 248
* Finished seventh in points scored (144), sixth in touchdowns scored (19), and sixth in rushing touchdowns (17) in the nation during the 2005 season.
Career
* Ranks first all-time in rushing touchdowns in WVU history – 50
* Ranks first all-time in total touchdowns in WVU history – 55
* Ranks first all-time in total points by a non-kicker in WVU history – 318
* Ranks second all-time in total 100-yard rushing games in WVU history – 21
* Ranks second all-time in all purpose yards in WVU history – 4,775
* Ranks second all-time in receiving yards by a running back in WVU history – 805
* Ranks second all-time in
Big East
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
history in total touchdowns – 53
* Ranks third all-time in rushing yards in WVU history – 3,923
* Ranks third all-time in rushing attempts in WVU history – 664
* Ranks third all-time in receptions by a running back in WVU history – 61
* Ranks third all-time in rushing yards in Big East history – 3,923
* Ranks third (tied) all-time in total 100-yard rushing games in Big East history – 21
* Third duo (along with
Pat White) in
FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons
Active career leaders
at the end of his collegiate career
* First in most touchdowns – 50
* Seventh in most career yards – 3,923
* Seventh in most yards per game – 109
* Eighth in most yards per carry – 5.9
* Tenth in most career carries – 664
* Twelfth in most carries per game – 18.4
Professional career
Pre-draft
On January 13, 2008, Slaton announced he would forgo his senior season at West Virginia and enter the
2008 NFL draft
The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...
.
Slaton received an invite to the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
in February. His 33.5 vertical jump was 11th best by a running back. Slaton also worked out as a
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
in drills at the Combine. Slaton reported meeting with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
and
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
at the NFL Combine.
West Virginia's Pro Day was March 13. At the Pro Day he ran a 4.45, despite weighing in at 199 lbs. He also ran a 2.51 20-yard dash and a 1.47 10-yard shuttle. In his three-cone drill, Slaton ran a 6.74, a 4.27 short shuttle, and a 35" vertical jump. Slaton also impressed many scouts with his receiving abilities, highlighted with a one-handed grab behind him on a "go route". Slaton's 6.74 three-cone drill time and 1.47 10-yard shuttle time was one of the best by any draft prospect at their respective Pro Days.
Houston Texans
Slaton was drafted by the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) in the third round (89th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 21, the Texans signed him to a multi-year contract.
In Slaton's first regular season game as a Texan, a 38–17 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, Slaton rushed 13 times for 43 yards and caught three passes for six yards. On September 21, 2008, Slaton scored his first touchdown in the NFL with a six-yard run against the Titans. He finished the game with 18 carries for 116 yards (6.4 average), including a 50-yard run, and four receptions for eight yards. Slaton totaled 104 yards in the first half alone, making him the second Texan ever to rush for 100 yards in the first half of a game, while his 50-yard run was the second-longest in franchise history. Following the performance, head coach
Gary Kubiak named Slaton the starting running back. Slaton followed-up his first 100-yard rushing performance in his second start of his career, a 30–27 loss to the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, with 10 rushes for 33 yards and caught 8 passes for 83 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown reception from the wideout spot. Slaton finished the game with 116 total yards in his second career start. In Slaton's third career start, a 31–27 loss to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, Slaton rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and also had a reception for three yards. Slaton's performance won him the NFL Rookie of the Week Award from NFLPlayers.com, and was nominated for the
Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi, also called Pepsi Light in some countries, is a diet carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-bra ...
NFL Rookie of the Week Award for the third consecutive time, dating back to the Titans' game. In the following 29–28 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Slaton rushed 15 times for 58 yards and had a reception for 3 yards. In their consecutive victory against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, Slaton totaled 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and had three receptions for nine yards. In the 35–6 win over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, Slaton rushed 15 times for 53 yards with a touchdown. Slaton then had 12 rushes for 62 yards and eight receptions for 56 yards in the 28–21 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. The game marked his second 100-yard all-purpose game of the season with a total of 118 yards.
Slaton and the Texans lost the following game against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
41–13. In the loss, Slaton rushed four times for seven yards and had two receptions for 17 yards in limited touches. However, Slaton rebounded in the following loss to the Colts, in which he posted career-high numbers—finishing the game with 14 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown. Slaton's yardage broke the franchise single-game rookie record, two yards shy of breaking
Domanick Williams' all-time franchise record, while his 71-yard touchdown run was the longest rush in Texans' history. Slaton also led all rushers in the league with his performance. After the game, Slaton ranked first in most runs of 40 or more yards among the NFL's top 15 rushers, sixth in rushes of 20+ yards among the top 15, and his 5.1 yard per carry average was tied for second-most with
DeAngelo Williams among the top 15. Then Slaton and the Texans defeated the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
16–6, with Slaton leading the way with 21 rushes for 73 yards. Slaton and the Texans then defeated the Jaguars 30–17 on
Monday Night. Slaton led the Texans' offensive assault with 21 carries for 130 yards with two touchdowns and was second on the team with two receptions for 52 yards—including a 46-yard screen reception. Slaton finished his first career Monday Night Football performance with 182 total yards of offense. For Slaton's Monday Night performance, he was awarded
AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 14. Slaton went over 1,000 yards rushing on the season with his 120-yard, 26-carry performance against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in the 13th game of the season. Slaton also had 40 yards off of 3 receptions, totaling 160 yards of total offense. As the Texans then upset the Titans 13–12 the following week, Slaton posted a 100-yard performance off of 24 rushes.
In the following loss to the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, Slaton rushed 18 times for 66 yards and caught five passes for 36 yards. It marked the first time in four games that he did not rush for over 100 yards (although he totaled 102 yards of offense), however he broke the franchise single-season record for rushing yards with 1,190 yards. In the final week of the season, Slaton's Texans were pitted against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
who had a talented rookie running back of their own in
Matt Forte. Slaton rushed for 92 yards and a score to seal Houston's win. He ended his rookie season with 1,282 rushing yards, the most among rookie running backs and sixth in the NFL, behind only
Adrian Peterson of the Vikings,
Michael Turner of the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
,
DeAngelo Williams of the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
,
Clinton Portis of the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, and
Thomas Jones of the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
.
Slaton began his sophomore season in the NFL as the starter for the Texans after the success of his rookie season. Behind Slaton were backs
Ryan Moats and
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
. In the off season, Slaton added to his frame by bulking up to 215 pounds from his 198 pounds when drafted. However, Slaton lost the short-yardage and goal-line situational carries to backup Chris Brown after the preseason by choice of Gary Kubiak.
In the opening game of the season, the Texans lost to the Jets 24–7 behind Slaton's nine carries for 17 yards (1.9 yard average) and 3 receptions for 35 yards—losing his first fumble of the season on a 17-yard reception. In the following win over the Titans, Slaton rushed for 34 yards on 17 carries and had 25 yards receiving on 3 catches, however Slaton fumbled twice in the game. Kubiak was openly critical of Slaton's play in the first two games of the season. However, in the third game Slaton rebounded with 76 yards rushing on 12 carries and 37 yards receiving on 2 catches.
In the fourth game of the season, a 29–6 victory over the Raiders, Slaton fumbled for the fourth time in four games. He was temporarily benched during the game, but rebounded with a 32-yard touchdown run—his first score of the season, finishing with 65 yards rushing and 24 yards receiving and another touchdown via a reception. In the following game, a loss to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, Slaton rushed for 39 yards on 13 carries and caught 6 passes for 59 yards. In the press conference following the game, Kubiak expressed his displeasure with the running game and Slaton, saying, "If we've got to go out there and throw it all the time, that's what we'll do." On November 8, 2009, Slaton was benched in favor of Ryan Moats. On December 9, Slaton was put on the injured reserve due to a shoulder injury.
On September 27, 2011, Slaton was waived by the Texans.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins claimed him off waivers on September 28, 2011. On September 1, 2012, Slaton was released by the Dolphins.
After
Matt Forte went down with an injury, Slaton worked out for the Bears on September 22, 2012, though the Bears ultimately signed
Kahlil Bell. The
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
also expressed interest in Slaton.
Toronto Argonauts
Slaton signed with the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
on April 24, 2014. He played in 12 games, starting 6, in 2014, recording 510 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 46 receptions, 388 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns and 71 kick return yards.
Slaton retired from professional football in May 2015.
NFL statistics
''Source
NFL.com'
Personal life
Slaton has two sons, and is married to his high school sweetheart, Kimberly Sierra. Slaton's favorite NFL player is
Emmitt Smith, and his favorite musical artist is
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. His maternal grandmother was originally from the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, and she met his maternal grandfather William while she was selling vegetables during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
After retiring from football, Slaton enrolled in culinary school, where he worked for Houston chef Chris Shepherd at his restaurant, Underbelly (which is now closed). There, he helped prepare nutritious meals for several Houston Texans players.
See also
*
*
List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
The list of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders identifies the NCAA major college scoring leaders. Beginning with the 1937 college football season, when the NCAA began maintaining official records, the list includes each year's le ...
References
External links
*
Miami Dolphins bioHouston Texans bioToronto Argonauts bioWest Virginia Mountaineers bio'Eers in Pros ProfileSteve Slaton News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slaton, Steve
1986 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football running backs
American sportspeople of Filipino descent
Canadian football running backs
Houston Texans players
21st-century American sportsmen
Miami Dolphins players
Toronto Argonauts players
Players of American football from Bucks County, Pennsylvania
West Virginia Mountaineers football players
People from Levittown, Pennsylvania
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
Players of Canadian football from Pennsylvania
Asian American players of American football
College Football Hall of Fame inductees