Jacob Saylors signs contract with the Detroit Lions

Published 1:58 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Former ETSU running back lands with an NFC contender

DETROIT, Mich. — Former ETSU All-American running back Jacob Saylors has signed a contract with the Detroit Lions.

Saylors is coming off his second consecutive season with the United Football League’s St. Louis Battlehawks. In 2025, Saylors led St. Louis with 499 rushing yards and five touchdowns, to go with 246 receiving yards. This will be the fifth NFL organization that Saylors has been a part of, spending time with the Cincinnati Bengals (2023), Atlanta Falcons (2023), New York Giants (2024) and Cleveland Browns (2024).

Saylors finished his ETSU career with 3,851 rushing yards, 6,058 all-purpose yards and 33 rushing touchdowns as he played for the Bucs from 2018-2022. Saylors ranks third all-time in career rushing yards by a Buccaneer and is the all-time leader in career yards per carry at 6.3.

Saylors earned All-American honors by Stats Perform FCS following the 2022 season.

In 2022, Saylors earned first-team All-Southern Conference honors after totaling 1,307 rushing yards on 225 carries and 15 rushing touchdowns. The Jasper, Tenn., native started all 11 games for the Blue and Gold in 2022 and registered 1,701 all-purpose yards as he also recorded 162 receiving yards and 232 kickoff return yards. Saylors finished the regular season ranking seventh nationally in all-purpose yards, rushing yards, rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns, while ranking eighth in total touchdowns.

For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.