Tony Steward (American football)

Tony Steward (born September 19, 1992) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson. Steward was considered one of the best linebacker prospects in his class,[1] and earned the 2010 high school version of the Dick Butkus Award.[2]

Not to be confused with Tony Stewart (American football).
Tony Steward
Steward with the Buffalo Bills in 2015
Free agent
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1992-09-19) September 19, 1992
Daytona Beach, Florida
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:241 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school:St. Augustine (FL) Menendez
College:Clemson
NFL Draft:2015 / Round: 6 / Pick: 188
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2016
Total tackles:2
Sacks:0.0
Forced fumbles:0
Interceptions:0
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

A native of Hastings, Florida, Steward attended Pedro Menendez High School in St. Augustine, Florida, where he was coached by Keith Cromwell. On mediocre 5–6 and 5–7 teams, respectively, in his junior and senior years, Steward was an all-state selection at linebacker. As a senior, he had 81 tackles and five sacks and scored 10 touchdowns on offense. Following his senior year, he received a nomination to the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[3]

Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Steward was ranked as the No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in his class.[4] Recruited by virtually every school in the country, he took official visits to UCLA, Clemson University, and Florida State. On National Signing Day 2011, Steward announced his decision to attend Clemson University.[5]

College career

As a true freshman at Clemson University, Steward played a back-up role and had five tackles in 36 snaps over five games. On October 18, 2011, he tore an ACL in practice and would miss the rest of the season.[6][7]

In 2012, Steward returned from injury and was a back-up to senior Jonathan Willard at weakside linebacker, and saw action on special teams. Appearing in all 13 games, Steward had 26 tackles, 16 of which were unassisted.

Professional career

Buffalo Bills

Steward was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round (188th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.[8] On May 18, 2015, Steward signed a four-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.[9] On December 10, 2015, the Buffalo Bills placed Steward on injured reserve.[10] Steward was released on April 19, 2016.[11]

New England Patriots

On April 22, 2016, Steward signed with the New England Patriots.[12] On May 11, 2016, the Patriots waived Steward.[13]

New Orleans Saints

On May 16, 2016, Steward was signed by the Saints.[14] On August 30, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve.[15]

Personal

Steward was born in Hastings, Florida.[16] He became engaged to his college sweetheart, Brittany Burns, in December 2015. However, Burns died of ovarian cancer in February 2016.[17]

References
  1. Tucker, Billy (December 20, 2010). "Tony Steward's closing burst and Ryan Shazier's pass-rushing arsenal highlight the 2011 LB superlatives". ESPN.com.
  2. "Dick Butkus has big words, bigger honor for Tony Steward". St. Augustine Record. December 9, 2010.
  3. Klein, Danny (December 7, 2010). "Tony Steward among nation's best at U.S. Army All-American Bowl". St. Augustine Record.
  4. "Yahoo Sports: Rivals.com Ranking - Rivals.com outside linebackers 2011". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  5. "Clemson Tigers nab Tony Steward on signing day". ESPN. February 2, 2011.
  6. "Clemson LB Tony Steward tears ACL, done for year". CBSsports.com. October 19, 2011.
  7. "Clemson linebacker Steward tears ACL". ESPN. October 19, 2011.
  8. "Steward drafted #188 overall in 2015 NFL Draft - TigerNet.com". www.tigernet.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  9. "LB Tony Steward signs rookie contract". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  10. "LB Steward to I-R; Tarpley called up to active roster". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  11. "Bills release LB Tony Steward". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  12. "Patriots sign LB Tony Steward and LS Christian Yount". New England Patriots. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  13. "Patriots release LB Tony Steward". New England Patriots. May 11, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  14. "New Orleans Saints sign LB Tony Steward, 2 others".
  15. "New Orleans Saints trim roster to 74 players".
  16. "Tony Steward's time arrives". St. Augustine Record. September 2, 2010.
  17. "Doctors Expected Fiancée of NFL Linebacker to Beat Ovarian Cancer, but She Died Suddenly, Friend Says". Yahoo News. February 5, 2016.
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