Devonta Cornellius Freeman ( ; born March 15, 1992) 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
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University (FSU) located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I, prima ...
and was selected by 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 ...
in the fourth round of the
2014 NFL draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
.
Early life
Freeman attended
Miami Central High School
Miami Central Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.0.1%
80.7% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Miami Central has a large Hai ...
in
West Little River, Florida
West Little River is a census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 34,128 at the 2020 census.
Most of West Little River was originally ...
. He helped lead the Rockets
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 ...
team to the 2010 Class 6A state championship and was named the MVP after gaining 308 yards on 38
carries, falling just 20 yards shy of a state championship game record. As a senior, he ran for a
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...
leading 2,208 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, and also recorded 663
rushing
Rushing means a sudden forward motion, or a surge or onslaught.
Rushing may refer to:
Tactics
* Rush (gridiron football), advancing the ball by running on offense. On defense, charging the quarterback or kicker is a pass rush.
* Human wave atta ...
yards and six touchdowns in the final two games of the state playoffs.
Considered a four-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com'', he was rated the best
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 nation. He committed to
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
on June 24, 2010.
College career
Freeman attended and 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 Florida State from 2011 to 2013.
2011 season
As a freshman at Florida State, Freeman immediately became a major contributor to the Seminoles' running game in their 9–4 season. He had two games with over 100 rushing yards and had a stretch of four games of scoring at least one rushing touchdown through the end of October and the start of November. He recorded 120 carries for 579 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman. He finished the season as the Seminoles' leading rusher in major categories.
2012 season
As a sophomore, Freeman shared the backfield primarily with
James Wilder Jr. and
Chris Thompson. He recorded two 100+-yard rushing games and three games with two rushing touchdowns. Florida State finished with a 10–2 regular season record and qualified for the
ACC Championship. In the ACC Championship against
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
, he had 59 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 21–15 victory. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 111 carries for 660 yards and eight touchdowns.
2013 season
As a junior, Freeman provided strong and consistent production for the Seminoles. In the second game of the season against
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
and the third game against
Bethune-Cookman, Freeman went over 100 rushing yards and scored a rushing touchdown. On October 5, 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 ...
, he started a streak of ten straight games with a rushing touchdown. In that stretch was a game against
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, where he had 78 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns to go along with 98 receiving yards and receiving touchdown. As a junior, Freeman was a first-team
All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selection and helped the Florida State Seminoles win the
2014 BCS National Championship Game over
Auburn by a score of 34–31. He rushed for over 1,000 yards, the first Seminole to do so since
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL ...
in 1996. Freeman finished the season with career highs in rushing yards (1,016), receiving yards (278), and touchdowns (15) despite splitting carries with
James Wilder, Jr. and
Karlos Williams in Florida State's backfield. He led the Seminoles in rushing in each of his three seasons in
Tallahassee
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...
.
On January 11, 2014, Freeman announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the
2014 NFL draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
.
College statistics
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons
2014 season
Freeman was drafted by 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 ...
in the fourth round with the 103rd overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He was the eighth running back selected in the draft.
In his rookie season in 2014, Freeman shared touches with fellow running backs
Steven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football for the Or ...
,
Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz "Quizz" Rodgers (born February 6, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers footbal ...
, and
Antone Smith. In his NFL debut, against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in Week 1 at the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a Stadium#Types, domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown Atlanta, downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of th ...
, Freeman had two rushes for 15 yards and two receptions for 18 yards in the 37–34 overtime 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 ...
in Week 8, he scored his first career touchdown, a seven-yard reception from
Matt Ryan in the first quarter. Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, he scored his first career rushing touchdown, a 31-yard rush in the third quarter. He appeared in all 16 games during his rookie season but started none. In his rookie season, he accumulated 248 rushing yards on 65 carries, 225 receiving yards on 30 receptions, one rushing touchdown, and two receiving touchdowns.
2015 season
Freeman received his first career start on September 27 against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in Week 3. Against the Cowboys, Freeman had a breakout performance by rushing for a then career-high 141 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. The next week, he rushed for three touchdowns again to go along with 68 rushing yards against 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 following game against 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 ...
, he rushed for a career-high 153 yards to start a three-game streak of 100 yard performances from Weeks 4–7. In Week 11 against 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 ...
, Freeman recorded 43 yards off three carries before leaving in the first half with a concussion. By the end of the season, Freeman totaled 1,634 yards-from-scrimmage (5th in the NFL), 14 all-purpose touchdowns (1st) with 1,056 rushing yards (7th), and 11 rushing touchdowns (1st).
He finished the 2015 season ranked third among NFL running backs in both receptions (73) and receiving yards (578) along with three receiving touchdowns. Following the season, Freeman was selected to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
, the first of his career, and was named a Second-team All-Pro. Freeman was named one of the captains, along with
Geno Atkins of 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 ...
, for Team Irvin in the 2016 Pro Bowl. He was ranked as the 50th best player in the NFL and the fifth best running back by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
2016 season

Freeman and
Tevin Coleman
Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, earning unanimous All-American honor ...
provided the Falcons with a solid running back combination to help pace a historic offense in 2016. In Week 3, against the Saints, he had 14 carries for 155 yards and five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. The next week, against 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 ...
, he scored his first rushing touchdown of the season in the 48–33 win. In Week 12, against the Arizona Cardinals, he churned out 60 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the 38–19 victory. In the next game, a 29–28 loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
, he had another two-touchdown performance on 15 carries for 56 yards. In Week 15, Freeman ran for 139 yards on 20 carries for three touchdowns in a 41–13 win over the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, and was named
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC) Offensive Player of the Week. Freeman was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl as an original selection behind
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995), nicknamed "Zeke", is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team College ...
and
David Johnson, and played a significant role in the Falcons finishing with an 11–5 record and earning the #2 seed in the NFC. In the
Divisional Round 36–20 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, Freeman had 14 carries for 45 yards and scored his first career postseason touchdown and also recorded four catches for 80 yards. In the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
44–21 victory over 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 ...
, Freeman recorded 14 carries for 42 yards and four receptions for 42 yards and scored his first career postseason receiving touchdown. In
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
, where the Falcons lost 34–28 in overtime to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Freeman would have 11 carries for 75 yards, two receptions for 46 yards, and scored the first points for either team on a rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Freeman was ranked as the 41st best player in the NFL and the sixth best running back by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
2017 season
On August 9, 2017, Freeman signed a five-year, $41.25 million contract extension with the Falcons to become the highest paid running back in the NFL. In Week 1, 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 ...
, he was limited to 37 rushing yards on 12 carries but had a touchdown in the 23–17 victory. In Week 2, in the 34–23 victory over 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 ...
, he had 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the first game in the new
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and Atlanta ...
. Freeman's first touchdown was the first ever touchdown in the history of the new stadium. In Week 3, against the Lions, he recorded 106 rushing yards and a touchdown. Though splitting carries with
Tevin Coleman
Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers, earning unanimous All-American honor ...
, he scored five rushing touchdowns in the first four games to lead the NFL. In Week 15, against 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 ...
, he had 22 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown in the 24–21 victory. In the regular season finale against the Panthers, he had 23 rushing yards, 85 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown in the 22–10 victory. The Atlanta Falcons finished with a 10–6 record and made the playoffs. Overall, Freeman finished with 865 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 36 receptions, 317 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in the 2017 season. In the
Wild Card Round
A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
, against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, he had 66 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 26–13 victory. In the
Divisional Round, he had a receiving touchdown in the 15–10 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. The touchdown marked Freeman's fifth consecutive postseason game with a touchdown. He was ranked 70th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 was the eighth season in the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1, making him the only player to be voted #1 three times, already being the only player to be voted first more than once. ...
.
2018 season
In Week 1, Freeman suffered a knee injury and missed the next three games. He returned in Week 5 before injuring his foot and experienced soreness in his groin. He missed the following week and was later revealed that Freeman required groin surgery. He was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on October 16, 2018.
2019 season
In Week 6 against 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 ...
, Freeman had 118 scrimmage yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 33–34 loss. During Week 7 against the Rams, Freeman threw a punch at
Aaron Donald
Aaron Charles Donald (born May 23, 1991) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams franchise. He is considered one of the gr ...
, and was ejected. Without Freeman, the Falcons lost 37–10. In Week 16, Freeman had 127 scrimmage yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown in the 24–12 victory over 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 ...
. In the 2019 season, Freeman finished with 656 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 59 receptions for 410 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. The Falcons released Freeman on March 16, 2020.
New York Giants

On September 23, 2020, Freeman signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. In Week 5, against the Cowboys, he recorded his first rushing touchdown as a Giant in the 34–37 loss. On November 13, 2020, he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He was placed on the reserve/
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
list by the team on December 5, 2020, and moved back to injured reserve on December 17. He was designated to return from injured reserve the next day, and began practicing with the team again. He did not return before the end of the regular season, and the Giants waived Freeman on January 7, 2021. He appeared in five games and totaled 54 carries for 172 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with seven receptions for 58 receiving yards.
Buffalo Bills
On January 12, 2021, Freeman was signed to the
practice squad
In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
of the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on February 1, 2021.
New Orleans Saints
Freeman signed with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
on August 1, 2021. He was released by the Saints on August 31.
Baltimore Ravens
On September 9, 2021, 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 ...
signed Freeman on their practice squad following injuries to
J. K. Dobbins,
Justice Hill, and
Gus Edwards. On September 16, 2021, the Ravens signed Freeman to their active roster following the release of
Trenton Cannon. In the 2021 season, Freeman appeared in 16 of the 17 games and recorded 133 carries for 576 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 34 receptions for 190 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Freeman's jersey number with the Falcons was 24 in honor of an aunt who died at the age of 24 from a heart attack while Freeman was a teenager.
References
External links
*
*
Florida State Seminoles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Devonta
1992 births
Living people
American football running backs
Atlanta Falcons players
Baltimore Ravens players
Buffalo Bills players
Florida State Seminoles football players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
New Orleans Saints players
New York Giants players
Miami Central Senior High School alumni
Players of American football from Miami
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players