{{Short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{distinguish|Deshawn Stephens|Deshawn Stevenson}} {{Infobox CFL biography | name = Deshawn Stevens | team = | image = 2022, 98, Deshawn Stevens (2).jpg | image_upright = 1 | caption = Stevens with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022 | status = | import = no | position1 = Defensive lineman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|6|9}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | number = | college = West Virginia<br>Maine | high_school = Kent School | Height_ft = 6 | Height_in = 1 | Weight_lbs = 255 | CFLDraftedYear = 2021 | CFLDraftedRound = 1 | CFLDraftedPick = 6 | playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|2022|2024}} | playing_team1 = Ottawa Redblacks | playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2025}} | playing_team2 = BC Lions | playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|2025}} | playing_team3 = Saskatchewan Roughriders | career_footnotes = | career_highlights = * Grey Cup champion (2025) | CFL = deshawn-stevens/166240/ }} '''Deshawn Stevens''' (born June 9, 1997) is a Canadian professional football defensive lineman.
==College career== After using a redshirt season in 2016, Stevens played college football for the Maine Black Bears from 2017 to 2020.<ref name=Mountaineers>{{cite web|url=https://wvusports.com/sports/football/roster/deshawn-stevens/16119 |title=Deshawn Stevens |publisher=West Virginia Mountaineers |access-date=January 20, 2024}}</ref> He played in 29 games, in which he had 211 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.<ref name=Maine>{{cite web|url=https://goblackbears.com/news/2021/5/4/football-ottawa-redblacks-draft-deshawn-stevens-with-no-6-overall-pick-in-cfl-draft.aspx |title=Ottawa Redblacks Draft Deshawn Stevens With No. 6 Overall Pick in CFL Draft |publisher=Maine Black Bears |access-date=January 20, 2024}}</ref>
Stevens then transferred to the University of West Virginia in 2021 to play for the Mountaineers, where he played in 12 games and had 12 total tackles.<ref name=Mountaineers/>
==Professional career== ===Ottawa Redblacks=== Stevens was ranked as the 20th best player in the Canadian Football League's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2021 CFL draft.<ref name=AprRank>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2021/04/26/josh-palmer-tops-spring-cfl-scouting-bureau-rankings/ |title=Josh Palmer tops spring CFL Scouting Bureau Rankings |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=April 26, 2021}}</ref> He was then drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Ottawa Redblacks.<ref name=Maine/> However, he played out his final year of college eligibility in 2021. Thereafter, he signed with the Redblacks on May 6, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2022/05/06/redblacks-sign-2021-first-round-pick-deshawn-stevens/ |title=Redblacks sign 2021 first round pick Deshawn Stevens |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=May 6, 2022}}</ref> Following training camp in 2022, he made the team's opening day roster and played in his first professional game on June 10, 2022, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.<ref name=2022notes>{{cite web|url=https://cdn.ticats.ca/app/uploads/ticats/2022/10/28103642/2022_CFL_Gm_Notes_89_Ott_vs_Ham.pdf |title=Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=January 17, 2024}}</ref> He played in all 18 regular season games, in which he recorded seven defensive tackles and six special teams tackles.<ref name=guide>{{cite web|url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-CFL-Guide-PDF-for-site.pdf |title=2023 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref>
In 2023, Stevens played in 12 games and recorded one defensive tackle and four special teams tackles.<ref name=CFLbio>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/deshawn-stevens/166240/ |title=Deshawn Stevens |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=January 20, 2024}}</ref> He began the 2024 season on the injured list before moving to the practice roster.<ref name=2024notes>{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-CFL-Gm-Notes-34-Ott-vs-Edm.pdf |title=Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=July 22, 2024}}</ref> He dressed in one game before being released on July 22, 2024.<ref name=2024T>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2024/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=December 10, 2024}}</ref>
===BC Lions=== On December 6, 2024, Stevens signed with the BC Lions.<ref name=2024T/> On June 10, 2025, Stevens was placed on the Lions' 1-game injured list. He was released on June 16, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BC Lions Transactions |url=https://www.bclions.com/transactions/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=BC Lions |language=en}}</ref>
===Saskatchewan Roughriders=== On July 30, 2025, Stevens signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after spending more than a month in free agency.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=2025-07-30 |title=Riders Sign National Dl Deshawn Stevens |url=https://www.riderville.com/2025/07/30/riders-sign-national-dl-deshawn-stevens/ |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=Saskatchewan Roughriders |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Stevens was born to parents Selvin Stevens and Andrea Anderson and he has four brothers and five sisters.<ref name=Mountaineers/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.riderville.com/players/deshawn-stevens/166240/ Saskatchewan Roughriders bio]
{{112th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Deshawn}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:BC Lions players Category:Canadian football people from Toronto Category:Canadian football defensive linemen Category:Maine Black Bears football players Category:Ottawa Redblacks players Category:West Virginia Mountaineers football players Category:Canadian expatriate American football people in the United States Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players