The author, Steve Bailey, is outreach coordinator at the Anson County Historical Society.
Stephone Anthony, a native of Polkton and a graduate of Anson High School, is a linebacker in the National Football League.
After playing at Clemson University, the New Orleans Saints selected Stephone in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He signed a four-year, $7.73 million contract with $6.24 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.38 million. Since then he’s played for the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, and again with the Saints.
A four-year starter at Anson High, Stephone had 123 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions as a senior in 2010. Besides his football career, he was also a track athlete, a catcher on the baseball team and a power forward on the basketball team. Rivals.com regarded him as a five-star recruit and he was rated the No. 3 outside linebacker prospect in the nation in 2011.
At Clemson, he appeared in all 13 games in 2011, including three starts. He registered 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup and a team-high two caused fumbles in 292 snaps during the season. In his second year, he started seven of 13 games, recording 77 tackles, one sack and an interception.
He made his professional debut as a middle linebacker for the Saints during the 2015 preseason and started all 16 games. He recorded his first sack in October 2015 in the 26-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He became the first Saints’ rookie after Hall of Fame linebacker Rickey Jackson to record 100 tackles in a season. He was also named to the Pro Football Writers Association all-rookie team.
Back home, Stephone has partnered with several charities and organizations to give back to various communities. Here’s a story and video about Stephone helping out at a local football camp a couple of years ago.