Former Tennessee State standout Chris Rowland is making his mark in the UFL.
In the DC Defenders 36-21 win over the Memphis Showboats Sunday, Rowland racked up 209 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 10 yards on two carries and added 49 receiving yards on three catches including a 35-yard TD reception in the first quarter.
Rowland posted another 97 yards on three kickoff returns including a 37-yarder and two punt returns for 53 yards including a 27-yarder.
Rowland is in his first season playing for the 4-5 Defenders. He currently leads the league with 1,341 all- purpose yards thru nine games. He averages 149.0 all- purpose yards per game, second in the league. His league- leading 950 kick return yards broke the Defenders’ record of 336 yards held by former Howard standout Jequez Ezzard set in 2023. On the season, the 5-8, 179-pounder has 17 receptions for 235 yards (13.8 ypc.) and three TDs.
Rowland is playing for head coach Reggie Barlow, the former Alabama State and NFL standout and former Alabama State and Virginia State head coach who was the 2023 XFL Coach of the Year. Rowland was on the roster of the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars in 2022 and 2023.
During his time at TSU, Rowland was a terrific all- purpose offensive threat. He won the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2019 after piling up an HBCU record 104 receptions for 1,437 yards and 8 TDs. The single-season receptions mark broke the record of 103 set by Pro Football and Black College Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in 1984. In 2019, Rowland was also the only player in Division I to record a touchdown via a kick return, punt return, reception, and rush. He also won the Deacon Jones Award as the top HBCU player.
After being signed as a rookie free agent out of TSU in 2020 by the Atlanta Falcons, Rowland also had a stint with the Tennessee Titans in the NFL.
