Jace Sternberger Bio
Jace Evan Sternberger is an American professional football tight end known for his productive college career at Texas A&M and his championship run with the Birmingham Stallions. After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2019, he spent time with several NFL organizations before establishing himself in the United States Football League and its successor, the United Football League. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 251 pounds, Sternberger built his reputation on reliable hands, strong route running, and a knack for finding the end zone in key moments.
Early Life and Background
Jace Evan Sternberger was born on June 26, 1996, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He grew up in a household shaped by athletics, with his father Jason and mother Jackie both having competed in college sports. His mother, Jackie, was a standout basketball player at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and earned two-time All-American recognition, a pedigree that helped shape her son’s competitive foundation.
Sternberger attended Kingfisher High School, where he lined up at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. He began his prep career as a quarterback before a shoulder injury during his sophomore season forced a move to tight end. He also played power forward in basketball, and the athleticism he developed on the hardwood translated directly to his new role on the gridiron. As a junior, he was part of a Kingfisher squad that posted a perfect 14–0 record and captured a state championship. In his senior season of 2014, he posted 42 receptions for 390 yards and eight touchdowns, drawing scholarship offers from programs such as Texas State, Kansas, New Mexico, and Sam Houston State.
Path to Professional Football
Sternberger enrolled at the University of Kansas as part of head coach David Beaty’s first recruiting class. He redshirted during the 2015 season and, as a redshirt freshman in 2016, managed just one reception for five yards while backing up Ben Johnson. Looking for a larger role, he transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he starred during the 2017 season with 21 receptions for 336 yards and six touchdowns. Rivals.com rated him as the 53rd-best junior college player in the country.
His recruitment was shaped by the move of Jimbo Fisher from Florida State to Texas A&M, and Sternberger committed to the Aggies to play in Fisher’s tight end-heavy offense. During the 2018 season at Texas A&M, he earned first-team All-SEC honors and consensus All-American recognition, finishing with 48 receptions for 832 yards and 10 touchdowns, the latter tying the school record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end. After his lone season in College Station, he declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jace Sternberger Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
The Green Bay Packers selected Sternberger in the third round, 75th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he signed his rookie contract in June of that year. He opened the season on injured reserve before being activated in November, and he capped his rookie year by catching his first NFL touchdown from Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
His second NFL season was disrupted when he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in 2020 and later suspended two games in 2021 for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was waived by the Packers in September 2021 and quickly bounced to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad, the Washington Football Team, and the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2021–2022)
Sternberger signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in November 2021 and inked a reserve/future contract in January 2022. He remained with the organization through the offseason before being waived in late August. A November 2022 workout with the Cleveland Browns did not produce a contract, setting the stage for his move to the spring football ranks.
Birmingham Stallions Era (2023–Present)
On January 26, 2023, Sternberger signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League. He was released in July to pursue an NFL opportunity, briefly joining the Buffalo Bills before being released in August. He re-signed with the Stallions in November 2023 and quickly became one of the league’s premier tight ends, leading the USFL in receiving touchdowns in 2023 and earning All-USFL honors.
In 2024, he was part of the Stallions’ UFL championship run and was named to the All-UFL Team on June 5, 2024. The following offseason, in December 2025, Sternberger announced his retirement alongside several other players and coaches ahead of the UFL’s reorganization under incoming owner Mike Repole.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although he lines up at tight end rather than behind the wheel, Sternberger’s playing style reflects the polish of a multi-sport background. He uses his basketball-honed footwork to create separation against linebackers, shows reliable hands in traffic, and thrives as a red-zone target. His ability to align in-line or in the slot has made him a versatile piece of the Stallions’ passing attack.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sternberger’s most memorable NFL moment came on the NFC Championship stage, where he caught an eight-yard touchdown from Aaron Rodgers. His junior college rebound at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, his consensus All-American season at Texas A&M, and back-to-back spring football titles with the Birmingham Stallions form the spine of a career marked by resilience and clutch production.
Jace Sternberger Career Wins
Across his professional career, Jace Evan Sternberger has collected championships at every level of his post-college journey. He is a USFL champion (2023) and a UFL champion (2024), and he also led the USFL in receiving touchdowns during his title-winning 2023 campaign.
USFL/UFL Highlights
During the 2023 USFL season, Sternberger paced the league in receiving touchdowns and earned a spot on the All-USFL Team. In 2024, he helped the Birmingham Stallions capture the UFL championship and was again recognized with All-UFL honors. His consistent production in the spring league cemented his status as one of the top tight ends outside the NFL.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Sternberger earned consensus All-American and First-Team All-SEC recognition in 2018, honors reserved for the nation’s most productive players at their position. He also won a state championship with Kingfisher High School as a junior, completing an undefeated 14–0 season.
Jace Sternberger Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sternberger was raised by his father, Jason, and his mother, Jackie, both former college athletes. His mother’s standout basketball career at Southwestern Oklahoma State, where she was a two-time All-American, gave the household a deep well of athletic experience to draw from.
Personal Life
Sternberger grew up partly in Clinton, Oklahoma, where he forged a close bond with a childhood friend he considers a brother. He carries a tattoo of that friend, Alfonso Reynaga, on his left arm in tribute after Reynaga passed away from brain cancer at age 13. In November 2021, Sternberger welcomed a son with longtime girlfriend and model Tayla Janae, expanding his family as he continued his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was expected to bring another title defense for the Birmingham Stallions, with Sternberger serving as a veteran anchor of the tight end room. Coming off a 2024 UFL championship and an All-UFL selection, he entered the year as a respected leader and a favorite target in the red zone.
However, in December 2025, Sternberger announced his retirement alongside several other players and coaches, ending his association with the UFL ahead of the league’s reorganization under incoming owner Mike Repole. His departure marked the close of a championship era in Birmingham and signaled a generational transition for the franchise.
Across his professional stops in Green Bay, Seattle, Washington, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Birmingham, Sternberger compiled 12 receptions for 114 yards and 1 receiving touchdown in regular-season NFL play, while adding two spring football titles and multiple All-League honors. His career arc stands as a study in perseverance, with each chapter, from junior college transfer to consensus All-American to spring football champion, adding to a legacy built on persistence and production.