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Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
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 handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
for
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
, and earned consensus All-American honors. 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 (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
in the third round of the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd 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, on April 26 and April 2 ...
. Slaton also played for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL) 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 competing in the CFL East Division, East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based i ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
(CFL).


Early years

Slaton was born in
Yardley, Pennsylvania Yardley is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Yardley borders the Delaware River and Ewing, New Jersey to its east and Lower Makefield Township to its north, west, and south. The United States Post Office assigns many addresses in Lower ...
. He was one of six children of Carl Slaton and Juanita Tiggett-Slaton. Until
first grade First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples by ...
, 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 (called Grade 5 in some regions) is a year of education in many nations, and some other regions call it Year 5. In the United States, the fifth grade is the fifth and last year of elementary school in most schools. In other schools, it ...
, his sister died of
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in 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 Fairless Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The CDP is located within c. The population was 9,046 at the 2020 census. That is up from 8,466 at the 2010 census. History Fairless Hills as it is ...
, Slaton made the varsity football team as a
freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or 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 institutions. Ara ...
. 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 steps ...
, 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. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
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 American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." Contests currently pit ...
. Slaton was also a
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
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. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
and
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
, but chose
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
, 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 Morgan Green (born March 7, 1987) is an American former college and high school football player. He played as a running back for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland. He played interscholastic football for Henry E. Lackey High Sch ...
.


College career

Slaton enrolled at
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
, where he played for coach Rich Rodriguez's
West Virginia Mountaineer football The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University (also referred to as "WVU" or "West Virginia") in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. West Virginia plays its home games at Milan Puskar ...
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 Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
. Slaton got his first ever start of his career in the next win, 27-14, against
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
- 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 largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. 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 the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
, but Slaton left the game early after an injury to his wrist. Slaton had another 100-yard performance, against
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
, 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 is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of ...
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 (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
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 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 Hanf ...
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 state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, 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 East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its origi ...
. Slaton finished with 185 yards on 26 carries and scored his seventh touchdown of the season, against Mississippi State, as the Mountaineers moved to 5-0 on the season. In the first Big East game of the season, against the
Syracuse Orangemen The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is O ...
, 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 The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's fo ...
, 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 largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. 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 The Backyard Brawl is an American college football rivalry between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played a ...
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. J 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 Avon Cobourne (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional gridiron football running back who was most recently a running back coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a running back for the Wes ...
'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, 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 2 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 1-yard and 18-yards while the Mountaineers beat Marshall 48-23 in front of the largest crowd ever at
Joan C. Edwards Stadium Joan C. Edwards Stadium, formerly Marshall University Stadium, is a football stadium located on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It can hold 38,227 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites ...
, in
Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and the largest city in the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A ...
. 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 state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, 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 (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. 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 5th game of the season, Slaton, for the 3rd year in a row, was held under 100 yards rushing by
South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of ...
- 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 Ira Errett "Rat" Rodgers (May 26, 1895 – February 15, 1963) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and golf player and coach. He played college football for West Virginia University where he was selected as an All-American in 1919. He ...
and
Avon Cobourne Avon Cobourne (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional gridiron football running back who was most recently a running back coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a running back for the Wes ...
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 2 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 and was also awarded the team's Coaches Contribution Award by former head coach Rich Rodriguez. 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 student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
history. In the 48-28
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pl ...
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.


Career statistics


Awards and honors

2005 * Named Walter Camp,
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
, 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 pr ...
, Collegefootballnews.com, Scout.com. *Named as the Big East 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 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 Owen Schmitt (born February 13, 1985) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia University. Before transferring to the Moun ...
were featured on one of the 6 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 circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
, 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 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 al ...
, 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 Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. 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 Football Le ...
. * 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 (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...
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, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
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 pr ...
'' Big East and ACC college football magazine. * Slaton was featured on the cover of a July 10, 2007 ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
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'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
, Athlon, and
Lindy's Lindy's was two different deli and restaurant chains in Manhattan, New York City. The first chain, founded by Leo "Lindy" Lindemann, operated from 1921 to 1969.("Opening date was Aug. 20, 1921.") In 1979, the Riese Organization determined that ...
All-American team for the preseason. * Slaton was a consensus preseason First-team All- Big East selection. *
SI.com ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
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 football running back who played ...
. * 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.


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 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 * Ranked first in most touchdowns in the nation - 50 * Ranked seventh in most career yards in the nation - 3,923 * Ranked seventh in most yards per game in the nation - 109 * Ranked eight in most yards per carry in the nation - 5.9 * Ranked tenth in most career carries in the nation - 664 * Ranked twelfth in most carries per game in the nation - 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 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, on April 26 and April 2 ...
. 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 Foo ...
in February. His 33.5 vertical jump was 11th best by a running back. Slaton also worked out as a wide receiver in drills at the Combine. Slaton reported meeting with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
at the
NFL 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 Foo ...
. 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 3-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 (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
in the third round (89th overall) of the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd 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, on April 26 and April 2 ...
. 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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, 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 6-yard run against the
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. He finished the game with 18 carries for 116 yards (6.4 average), including a 50-yard run, and 4 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
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, 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 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. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
, 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) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
, 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
, Slaton rushed 15 times for 53 yards with a touchdown. Slaton then had 12 rushes for 62 yards and 8 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. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
. 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
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
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
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, 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. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
16-6, with Slaton leading the way with 21 rushes for 73 yards. Slaton and the Texans then defeated 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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
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 club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
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 In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
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 that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
, 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
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
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
, 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
,
Clinton Portis Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted ...
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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
, 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. Slaton began his sophomore season in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
as the starter for the Texans after the success of his rookie season. Behind Slaton were backs
Ryan Moats Ryan Moats (born December 17, 1982) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana Tech. Moats has also been a member of t ...
and
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...
. 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 head coach Gary Kubiak. In the opening game of the season, the Texans lost to 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
24-7 behind Slaton's 9 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
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
, Slaton rushed for 34 yards on 17 carries and had 25 yards receiving on 3 catches, however Slaton fumbled twice in the game. Head coach Gary 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
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
, 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) West division, and play th ...
, Slaton rushed for 39 yards on 13 carries and caught 6 passes for 59 yards. In the press conference following the game, Gary 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
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
claimed him off waivers on September 28. On September 1, 2012, Slaton was released by the Dolphins. After Matt Forte went down with an injury, Slaton worked out for 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
on September 22, 2012, though the Bears ultimately signed
Kahlil Bell Kahlil Edward Bell (born December 10, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at UCLA. Bell was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He was also played for the Chicago Bears, New ...
. 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) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
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 competing in the CFL East Division, East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based i ...
on April 24, 2014. He played in 12 games, starting 6, in 2014, recording 510 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 46 receptions, 388 receiving yards, 4 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 Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the le ...
, and his favorite musical artist is
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
. His maternal grandmother was originally from the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
and she met his maternal grandfather William, while she was selling vegetables during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. 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 Division I FBS running backs with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns *
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 lea ...


References


External links

*
Miami Dolphins bio

Houston Texans bio

Toronto Argonauts bio

West Virginia Mountaineers bio

'Eers in Pros Profile

Steve Slaton News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slaton, Steve 1986 births Living people African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football All-American college football players American football running backs American sportspeople of Filipino descent Canadian football running backs Houston Texans players Miami Dolphins players Toronto Argonauts players Players of American football from Pennsylvania West Virginia Mountaineers football players People from Levittown, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Bucks County, Pennsylvania 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people