Pheldarius Payne Bio
Pheldarius Payne (born July 14, 2000) is an American professional football defensive end for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 125 kilograms, Payne brings a tall, long frame to the defensive line. He played college football for the Lackawanna Falcons, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Virginia Tech Hokies before launching his professional career in 2024. After a winding start that included brief stints with two NFL organizations, Payne returned to the Battlehawks in 2025, the same spring league that originally drafted him a year earlier.
Early Life and Background
Pheldarius Payne grew up in Suffolk, Virginia, the son of Phelton and Johnnetta Payne. He attended Nansemond River High School, where he played varsity football and developed into one of the region’s top defensive prospects. During his senior season, Payne earned All-District and All-Region honors, recognition that opened the door to college opportunities.
Long before his high school success, Payne was introduced to competitive football in the youth ranks. In fifth grade, he helped his Pop Warner team win a Pop Warner National Championship, an early championship experience that foreshadowed his later career path. The blend of family support and early athletic achievement laid the foundation for his journey toward college and professional football.
Path to American Football
After high school, Payne committed to Lackawanna College, a junior college program in Pennsylvania known for developing NFL-caliber talent. He spent two seasons with the Lackawanna Falcons and contributed to a memorable run that ended in the 2019 NJCAA National Championship Game. The exposure from that national stage helped him attract attention from four-year programs.
Payne originally committed to NC State but flipped his pledge to Nebraska after visiting the campus. His path from a Suffolk high school to a junior college national championship game, and then to a Big Ten program, marked a steady climb through each competitive level of American football.
Pheldarius Payne Career
Early Career at Lackawanna and Nebraska (2019–2021)
At Lackawanna College, Payne developed into a promising defensive lineman during two seasons that culminated in the 2019 NJCAA National Championship Game. That high-profile postseason run helped establish his reputation as a player capable of performing on big stages.
After arriving at Nebraska, Payne switched to outside linebacker and appeared in every game during his first season. In his second season with the Cornhuskers, he played the first ten games before an injury cut his year short. On February 28, 2022, Payne entered the NCAA transfer portal, opening the next chapter of his career.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Breakthrough (2020–2021)
Payne’s two seasons at Nebraska provided his first sustained exposure to a Power Five conference. Switching from his original position to outside linebacker, he showed the kind of athletic versatility scouts value in edge defenders. His durability in the first season, appearing in every contest, and his starting role before injury the following year confirmed his place as a contributing Big Ten defender.
Virginia Tech Hokies Breakthrough (2022–2023)
After two seasons at Nebraska, Payne transferred to Virginia Tech to continue his development. Before the 2022 season could begin, he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture, an injury that delayed his on-field debut with the Hokies.
Payne returned healthy for the 2023 season and appeared in all 13 games for Virginia Tech, marking a full comeback from his Achilles injury. That durability and resilience strengthened his case as a draft-eligible prospect heading into 2024.
Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts Era (2024)
Payne went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. He was also selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the third round of the 2024 UFL Draft but chose not to sign with the spring league at that time. The Texans waived him with an injury designation on July 17, 2024, then re-signed him on August 12 before waiving him again on August 27.
On December 10, 2024, the Indianapolis Colts signed Payne to their practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with Indianapolis on January 6, 2025, but was waived by the Colts on May 9.
St. Louis Battlehawks Era (2025–Present)
On September 18, 2025, Payne signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League, returning to the spring league that had drafted him a year earlier. The move brought him back to defensive end, a position he had played throughout his college career, in a familiar UFL setting.
The Battlehawks era marks Payne’s first sustained professional opportunity since college. With prior NFL experience on his resume and a healthy 2023 campaign at Virginia Tech behind him, he entered the 2025 UFL season looking to build momentum at the professional level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pheldarius Payne is a tall defensive end whose size helps him play the run and challenge offensive tackles at the line of scrimmage. His experience as an outside linebacker at Nebraska added coverage and pursuit skills to his defensive-line foundation, giving him the kind of position-flexibility coaches value on passing downs.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pheldarius Payne’s career features several signature milestones, including a Pop Warner National Championship in fifth grade, an NJCAA National Championship Game appearance with Lackawanna in 2019, and a full 13-game return from an Achilles injury at Virginia Tech in 2023. Going undrafted in 2024 but still reaching the NFL through free-agent signings with the Texans and Colts stands as another marker of his perseverance.
Pheldarius Payne Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pheldarius Payne is the son of Phelton and Johnnetta Payne. While neither parent is publicly known for a football career, their support shaped his path from Suffolk, Virginia, youth leagues to professional football.
Personal Life
Pheldarius Payne grew up in Suffolk, Virginia, where he attended Nansemond River High School. He began playing organized football in Pop Warner, where his fifth-grade team won a national championship. Payne keeps much of his personal life private, focusing public attention on his professional football career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 UFL season marks Pheldarius Payne’s first sustained run of professional playing time after years of roster movement at the NFL level. Signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks on September 18, 2025, gave him a stable home to focus on defensive end after earlier stints with the Texans and Colts.
Coming off a full 13-game season at Virginia Tech in 2023, Payne entered the spring campaign with recent game experience and a healthy body, two factors that have been central to his early-season production. His combination of size, prior Power Five experience, and professional reps sets the stage for measurable growth in the Battlehawks’ defensive rotation.
With the Battlehawks, Payne is positioned to compete for a larger pass-rushing role as the 2025 season progresses. A strong year in St. Louis could once again place him on the radar of NFL teams searching for defensive-end depth, continuing the upward arc that has defined his career since Lackawanna.