Larry Stevens
Encyclopedia
Larry Ernest Stevens Jr. (born January 22, 1982 in Tacoma, Washington
) is a former American football
defensive end
and linebacker
. He played college football
for the University of Michigan
from 2000 to 2003. He also played professional football for the Cincinnati Bengals
during the 2004
and 2005 NFL season
s.
, and attended Woodrow Wilson High School
in Tacoma. He was a star athlete in both basketball and football for Woodrow Wilson. He was considered the top football prospect in the State of Washington in the Class of 2000 and had offers from Washington
, Oregon
, UCLA
, Nebraska
, Michigan and other schools. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
described Stevens this way: "Stevens is the ultimate catch because of the things he can do with his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame. He runs 40 yards in 4.6 seconds. He can dunk a basketball backward from a standing position. He can reach the end zone in any number of ways."
in December 1999 and gave his oral commitment to the Wolverines during the visit. Stevens said, "I've always wanted to go to Michigan, even when I was a little kid. When I got there, everyone made me feel really comfortable there." He played college football
as a defensive end
and linebacker
for the Michigan Wolverines
from 2000 to 2003. In four years, playing for Michigan, he appeared in 44 games and was credited with 77 tackles, 21 assists, 25 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Sports Illustrated
wrote that Stevens was an "athletic defensive end whose game possesses a lot of explosion."
in the 2004
and 2005 NFL season
s. He appeared in 16 games for the Bengals. In the final pre-season game of the 2005 season, Stevens returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts
. At the end of November 2005, Stevens was waived by the Bengals.
(October 2007 – September 2009) and in Washington, D.C.
, as a business consultant with Respect Is Earned, LLC (starting in October 2008), a promoter and sponsor of martial arts competitions.
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 2000 to 2003. He also played professional football for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
during the 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
and 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
s.
Early years
Stevens was born in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, and attended Woodrow Wilson High School
Woodrow Wilson High School (Tacoma, Washington)
Woodrow Wilson High School is located in Tacoma, Washington, on Orchard Street and 11th Street. Wilson High is one of five traditional high schools in the Tacoma Public School System and is located within distance of Downing Elementary School, also in Tacoma...
in Tacoma. He was a star athlete in both basketball and football for Woodrow Wilson. He was considered the top football prospect in the State of Washington in the Class of 2000 and had offers from Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
, UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, Michigan and other schools. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
described Stevens this way: "Stevens is the ultimate catch because of the things he can do with his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame. He runs 40 yards in 4.6 seconds. He can dunk a basketball backward from a standing position. He can reach the end zone in any number of ways."
University of Michigan
Stevens made his first official recruiting visit to the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in December 1999 and gave his oral commitment to the Wolverines during the visit. Stevens said, "I've always wanted to go to Michigan, even when I was a little kid. When I got there, everyone made me feel really comfortable there." He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
from 2000 to 2003. In four years, playing for Michigan, he appeared in 44 games and was credited with 77 tackles, 21 assists, 25 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
wrote that Stevens was an "athletic defensive end whose game possesses a lot of explosion."
Professional football
Stevens played professional football for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
and 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
s. He appeared in 16 games for the Bengals. In the final pre-season game of the 2005 season, Stevens returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. At the end of November 2005, Stevens was waived by the Bengals.
Later years
Stevens retired from football in 2007 after sustaining a career-ending injury. Since retiring from football, he has worked as a manager for Under ArmourUnder Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
(October 2007 – September 2009) and in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as a business consultant with Respect Is Earned, LLC (starting in October 2008), a promoter and sponsor of martial arts competitions.