(WNY News Now) – From Jamestown High School to the NFL, Stephen Carlson’s remarkable journey culminates in a 2025 induction into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
The only Chautauqua County athlete to ever score a National Football League touchdown will be a 2025 inductee of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
Stephen Carlson, then a tight end for the Cleveland Browns, caught an 8-yard scoring pass from Baker Mayfield on November 14, 2019, as the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7.
His potential to play in the NFL first became evident during Carlson’s outstanding career at Jamestown High School. The 2015 JHS graduate excelled on the football gridiron for Coach Tom Langworthy and on the basketball hardwood for Coach Ben Drake.
As a Red Raider receiver, Stephen amassed 2,411 yards on 134 receptions with 22 touchdowns. A stalwart on defense, he recorded more than 250 tackles. JHS won the Class AA New York State Championship in his senior year.
Carlson was the 2014 recipient of the Connolly Cup awarded to the outstanding player in Western New York. A First Team AA All-State selection in both 2013 and 2014, Stephen’s No. 89 jersey has been retired at Jamestown.
He was a 2-time winner Western New York High School Sports James Lofton Award as the top receiver and was the Post-Journal’s 2014 Player of the Year. Carlson also won many academic accolades as a scholar athlete.
Stephen was also a force on the basketball court for the Red Raiders. During his high school career, Jamestown won 3 consecutive Section VI Championships and played in the state title game in ‘14. He was All-ECIC First Team, a Post-Journal All-Star, 5th Team All-State 2015 and had his No. 22 placed on the JHS Basketball Wall of Fame.
Carlson parlayed his academic and football talents into a Division 1 scholarship to Princeton University from where he graduated in 2019. As a Tiger, he had 125 receptions for 1,632 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He played on the 2018 undefeated Ivy League championship team and was twice chosen All-Ivy League.
Stephen signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in May 2019. He was waived during final roster cuts and subsequently re-signed to the Browns’ practice squad. The Browns signed Carlson to their active roster on November 1, 2019.
In addition to the touchdown grab previously mentioned, he scored a two-point conversion in the Browns’ match against the Dallas Cowboys on October 4, 2020, when he chased down a blocked kick that the Cowboys had fumbled towards the end zone. He earned 5 game balls as a Cleveland tight end and special teams player.
A knee injury kept him out of the NFL in 2022.
The Chicago Bears signed Carlson to a one-year deal after a rookie mini-camp workout in 2023 and was assigned to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on September 24, 2024. Subsequently, he suffered a serious shoulder injury that placed him on the injured reserve list.
Stephen, married in 2024, lives in the Chicago area, and can use his Princeton degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology after his football career.
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