{{Short description|American football player (born 1984)}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Steve Octavien | image = | caption = | number = 53, 95, 51 | position = Linebacker | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|11|25}} | birth_place = Belle Glade, Florida, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lbs = 238 | high_school = Lely (Naples, Florida) | college = Nebraska | undraftedyear = 2008 | pastteams = * Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2008}})* * Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|2008}})* * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2008}}–{{NFL Year|2009}}) * Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2010}}) * Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|2012}}) * Omaha Nighthawks ({{UFL Year|2012}}) * Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2013}})* * San Jose SaberCats ({{AFL Year|2013}}) * Los Angeles Kiss ({{AFL Year|2014}}) | status = | highlights = | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 9 | statlabel2 = Forced fumbles | statvalue2 = 1 | aflstatlabel1 = Total tackles | aflstatvalue1 = 36 | aflstatlabel2 = Sacks | aflstatvalue2 = 6.5 | aflstatlabel3 = Pass deflections | aflstatvalue3 = 3 | pfr = OctaSt00 | afl = 12442 }} '''Steven Octavien''' (born November 25, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
==Early life== Octavien is of Haitian descent,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/04/AR2010020401827.html |title=Chart: Haitian Americans in the NFL |newspaper=The Washington Post |accessdate=March 10, 2020}}</ref> and attended Lely High School. He became a starter at linebacker as a sophomore. In his last 2 years he was used as a two-way player.
In his junior season, he won the state title in the discus throw and finished second as a senior. In 2003, his personal-best throw of 193-7 was the tenth-best prep mark in the nation.
==College career== Octavien enrolled at Harper College. As freshman, he posted 124 tackles (15 for loss), 8 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 blocked field goals and one blocked punt, while contributing to a 10-1 record. In 2004, he played in only four games because of an injury.
He also was a track standout, running the second leg on the school’s 2004 national champion 4 × 400 metres relay team and winning the Division III junior college discus throw title with a mark of 164-7.
Octavien accepted a football scholarship from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In 2005, he was injured in the Cornhuskers' season opener against the University of Maine, and was lost for the year.
As a redshirt junior, he only played in 9 games after missing 4 four contests while rehabbing a leg injury. He posted 32 tackles (4 for loss), one sack, 2 passes defensed, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble, while contributing for a defense that ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense.
As a senior, he started 8 out of 12 games at Will linebacker, leading the team with 92 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9 quarterback hurries. He also had 3 passes defensed and 2 sacks. He was named the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player.
Played in 22 games with 10 starts in three years at Nebraska, finishing with 128 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 21.0 ~ tackles for losses, 1 1 pressures, five breakups and a forced fumble.
==Professional career==
===Kansas City Chiefs=== Octavien was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after not being selected in the 2008 NFL draft. He was waived injured on August 30.
===Washington Redskins=== On November 20, 2008, he was signed by the Washington Redskins to their practice squad.
===Dallas Cowboys=== On November 30, 2008, the Dallas Cowboys signed Octavien from the Washington Redskins practice squad. He was declared inactive in his first 2 games, before making his NFL debut with 2 special teams tackles and a forced fumble against the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2009, he played in 14 games and tied for fourth on the team with 12 special teams tackles.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.espn.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5060891 | title=Cowboys sign Spears, Octavien | date=6 April 2010 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref> He was released on September 4, 2010.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.espn.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4671712/cowboys-final-cuts-are-in | title=Cowboys' final cuts are in | date=4 September 2010 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref>
===Cleveland Browns=== On December 22, 2010, he was signed as a free agent by the Cleveland Browns.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5944265 | title=Eric Wright, Scott Fujita put on IR | date=21 December 2010 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref> He wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.
===Omaha Nighthawks=== In 2011, he was signed by the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/nighthawks-sign-former-husker-steve-octavien/n-4290954 | title=NIGHTHAWKS SIGN FORMER HUSKER STEVE OCTAVIEN | date=6 September 2011 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref> He played linebacker and special teams.
===Tampa Bay Storm=== On April 3, 2012, the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League signed him as a free agent.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/storm-acquire-octavien-place-akinniyi-on-ir/n-4377054| title=Storm Acquire Octavien, Place Akinniyi on IR | date=3 April 2012 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref> His value showed during the season on the field and in the locker room, as a veteran who became a leader for younger teammates.
===Montreal Alouettes=== On February 16, 2013, he was signed by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League to a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2013/02/16/alouettes-welcome-back-brown-add-octavien/ | title=ALOUETTES WELCOME BACK BROWN, ADD OCTAVIEN | date=16 February 2013 | accessdate=February 19, 2020}}</ref> He was released before the start of the season.
===San Jose SaberCats=== In June 2013, Octavien was assigned to the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. On August 2, he was placed on the inactive reserve.
===LA Kiss=== On December 26, 2013, he was selected in the AFL expansion draft by the LA Kiss of the Arena Football League.
==Personal life== His sister Dayana was a three-time track All-American in the hammer and discus throw at the University of South Florida and competed in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, 2007 Pan American Games, and the 2008 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Dayana Octavien (2013) - USF Athletic Hall of Fame|url=https://gousfbulls.com/honors/usf-athletic-hall-of-fame/dayana-octavien/23|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624232739/https://gousfbulls.com/honors/usf-athletic-hall-of-fame/dayana-octavien/23|archive-date=2020-06-24|access-date=2020-11-14|website=USF Athletics|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/steve-octavien/14245 Nebraska profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Octavien, Steve}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Belle Glade, Florida Category:People from Collier County, Florida Category:American football linebackers Category:Harper Hawks football players Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players Category:Cleveland Browns players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:Los Angeles Kiss players Category:Omaha Nighthawks players Category:San Jose SaberCats players Category:Tampa Bay Storm players Category:Washington Redskins players Category:American people of Haitian descent Category:Sportspeople of Haitian descent Category:Harper College alumni