Stephen Weatherly

Stephen Weatherly's Biography

Stephen Dian Weatherly, born March 19, 1994, is a well-known American football defensive end player, who is currently a free agent. Weatherly was born with a football instinct, which developed during his high school years at North Atlanta High School. He was a distinguished three-year starter and played various roles including outside linebacker, defensive end, and wide receiver.

During his junior years at North Atlanta High, Weatherly demonstrated tremendous growth in the game. With a record of 66 tackles and 14 sacks, his performance was remarkable in the arena. Apart from football, Weatherly had a streak of success in basketball as well. He was a significant contributor to the Warriors, aiding them in securing two sub-region titles.

Before his senior year, Weatherly transferred to Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia. This change marked another milestone in his career as he was appointed the team captain. He maintained an impressive record of 79 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles on defense, and even scored two receiving touchdowns on offense, leading his team to Gwinnett County All-Star Game. This triumph won him the Gwinnett County honors and a distinct place as the only player from Gwinnett County to participate in the inaugural Georgia High School Senior Allstar Bowl.

During his time at North Atlanta, Weatherly proved his other talents as well by winning the Georgia regional championship in robotics and participating in the world championship in St. Louis. He was equally accomplished in track and field events, performing excellently as a sprinter and long jumper.

Vanderbilt University recognized Weatherly’s talents and accepted him into their football team where he played defensive end for two seasons under Coach James Franklin. In his first college career game against Bo Wallace, Weatherly secured his first-ever sack as a red-shirt freshman. He spent his last two years at Vanderbilt under the mentorship of Coach Derek Mason as an outside linebacker.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Weatherly in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft. Weatherly had the honor of being the first Vanderbilt defensive lineman to be drafted since Tim Fugger in 2012. Following his release by the Vikings, Weatherly was signed to their practice squad and eventually made it to the active roster in November 2016.

Despite a slow start to his career, Weatherly gradually improved his game and started to make an impact. He started six games and recorded three sacks during the absence of Everson Griffen in 2018. Weatherly continued the trend in 2019 with three sacks in the regular season and one in the postseason.

In March 2020, Weatherly signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, a finger surgery led him to be placed on injured reserve in November 2020. The Panthers released Weatherly in February 2021, but he returned to the Vikings in March 2021.

Within a few months, Weatherly was traded to the Denver Broncos along with a 2023 seventh-round pick. In April 2022, Weatherly signed with the Cleveland Browns but had to be placed on injured reserve following a knee injury in August 2022.

Apart from his impressive football career, Weatherly’s life is full of diverse interests and significant accomplishments. While excelling in football, he managed to complete his major in sociology at Vanderbilt University. He has an affinity for chess, math puzzles, skateboarding, and can even solve a Rubik’s Cube. He can play as many as six musical instruments.

Weatherly is also active in community service; he was part of the Fulton County Youth Commission, a body committed to addressing youth issues in the community. Additionally, Weatherly enjoys glass-blowing as a hobby and even appeared as a guest judge on Netflix’s ‘Blown Away.’ His personal experiences in sports help him relate to the struggles of the competing artists.

Interestingly enough, Weatherly displays an unusual trait during play – he wears sunglasses beneath his helmet. Alongside sports and hobbies, Weatherly also cherishes a relationship with Olympic volleyball player, Jordan Thompson. His full and varied life is indeed a rare blend of sports, academics, hobbies, and personal achievements, which makes his biography captivating and inspiring.