Chris Rowland Bio
Chris Rowland (born December 19, 1997) is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Tennessee State Tigers before signing with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Over the course of his professional career, Rowland has also spent time with the Tennessee Titans, the Philadelphia Stars, and the DC Defenders, building a reputation as a versatile return man and pass catcher at the professional level.
Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and listed at 183 pounds, Rowland has carved out a role for himself in spring and fall professional football through quickness, hands, and special-teams production. His path from a small-town Tennessee high school to multiple professional rosters reflects steady development and durability.
Early Life and Background
Chris Rowland was born on December 19, 1997, in Nolensville, Tennessee. He grew up in the Nashville suburbs and attended Ravenwood High School in nearby Brentwood, Tennessee, graduating in 2016. At Ravenwood, he was used primarily as a running back, allowing him to develop vision, contact balance, and open-field running skills that would later translate to the receiver position.
Coming out of high school, Rowland was not heavily recruited by major college programs. He chose to continue his football career at Tennessee State, a historically Black university in Nashville and a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. The decision to stay close to home allowed him to refine his game in a familiar environment while adjusting to the speed and physicality of college football.
Path to American Football
At Tennessee State, Rowland transitioned from running back to wide receiver and quickly became one of the most productive playmakers in the program. During the 2019 college football season, he became the only player in Division I to score a touchdown via a kick return, a punt return, a reception, and a rush, a rare four-way scoring feat that highlighted his versatility.
That same season, Rowland broke the HBCU single-season receptions record, surpassing a mark previously held by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. He was named first-team all-conference as both a receiver and a kick returner, earned Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, and received the Deacon Jones Trophy as the best player at an HBCU. After the 2019 season, he declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Chris Rowland Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Rowland went unselected in the 2020 NFL Draft and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2020. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the Falcons practice squad the following day. During the 2020 season, he was elevated to the active roster for the team’s Weeks 16 and 17 games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gaining his first NFL game experience before reverting to the practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with Atlanta on January 4, 2021, and was waived on August 31, 2021.
On November 10, 2021, Rowland was signed to the Tennessee Titans practice squad. He was released by the Titans on November 23, 2021, bringing his NFL regular-season exposure to a handful of game days with Atlanta and a brief practice-squad stint in Tennessee.
Philadelphia Stars Era (2022–2023)
On March 10, 2022, Rowland was drafted by the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League, launching his spring-football career. He was transferred to the team’s inactive roster on April 22, 2022, with a shoulder injury, before being moved back to the active roster on April 30, 2022. His combination of return ability and pass-catching skill gave Philadelphia a versatile weapon on the perimeter.
Rowland was placed on injured reserve by the Stars on May 8, 2023, and later re-signed with the team on October 1, 2023. Following the merger of the USFL with the XFL to form the UFL, the Philadelphia Stars franchise folded, leaving Rowland available for the new league’s dispersal process.
DC Defenders Era (2024–2025)
On January 15, 2024, Rowland was selected by the DC Defenders in the second round of the Super Draft portion of the 2024 UFL dispersal draft. He quickly became a featured piece of the Defenders’ offense and special teams, and on June 5, 2024, he was named to the 2024 All-UFL team. He re-signed with the Defenders on October 7, 2024, solidifying his role as a returning veteran.
During the 2025 UFL season, Rowland was again named to the All-UFL team, this time earning recognition as both a receiver and a return specialist on June 2, 2025. The Defenders captured the 2025 UFL championship, giving Rowland his first professional title at the spring-football level and cementing his place among the league’s most consistent performers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although the term is more common in motorsports, Rowland’s professional profile is built on a similarly versatile skill set. He excels as a short-area receiver who can separate quickly out of the slot, and he is regarded as one of the UFL’s most dangerous return men, capable of flipping field position in a single touch. His lower-center-of-gravity build, listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 183 pounds, suits the quick-twitch movements required for the position.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Rowland’s career milestones are his 2019 record-breaking season at Tennessee State, his status as the only Division I player that year to score in all four ways, his Deacon Jones Trophy win, and his 2025 UFL championship with the DC Defenders. He has also been selected to multiple All-UFL teams, underscoring his sustained production at the professional level.
Chris Rowland Career Wins
Chris Rowland’s verified professional résumé features a UFL championship, multiple All-UFL selections, and a series of individual college awards, with his most prominent title coming in 2025.
UFL Highlights
Rowland joined the DC Defenders in 2024 and was named to the All-UFL team that same year. In 2025, he earned All-UFL honors as a receiver and return specialist and helped lead the Defenders to the UFL championship. His ability to contribute on offense and in the return game made him a central figure of Washington’s title run.
Other Wins and Performances
Before turning professional, Rowland was a decorated college player at Tennessee State, where he was named OVC Offensive Player of the Year, earned first-team All-OVC recognition as both a receiver and returner, and won the Deacon Jones Trophy in 2019. These honors established him as one of the most productive HBCU playmakers of his class.
Chris Rowland Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Chris Rowland’s immediate family is limited. He grew up in Nolensville, Tennessee, and attended Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, suggesting a stable upbringing in the Nashville suburbs that supported his early athletic development.
Personal Life
Chris Rowland maintains an active presence on social media, including accounts on X and Instagram where he shares updates from his football career. Beyond his status as a professional wide receiver, additional details about his personal and family life are not widely documented in public sources.
2025 Season Performance
Rowland’s 2025 UFL campaign with the DC Defenders served as a defining season of his professional career. He continued to handle a significant role on offense and as a return specialist, providing reliable hands and field-flipping plays throughout the schedule. His consistency across the season was recognized when he was named to the 2025 All-UFL team as a receiver and return specialist on June 2, 2025.
The Defenders’ 2025 run peaked with the UFL championship, a victory that validated Rowland’s move to Washington following the USFL–XFL merger. Playing in a balanced attack, he complemented the team’s passing and special-teams units and gave DC a dependable target on underneath routes while also serving as a threat on punt and kick returns.
Heading beyond the 2025 season, Rowland’s combination of championship experience, multi-time All-UFL recognition, and proven durability positioned him as one of the league’s most respected veteran pass catchers. His role with the Defenders remained central to the team’s identity, and his production across the season reinforced his standing as a reliable contributor in the UFL.
