Hall of Fame
Position: Running Back
Years: 2005-07
Place of Birth: Levittown, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: Jan. 4, 1986
Jersey Number: 10
Height: 5-9
Weight: 199
High School: Conwell-Egan Catholic (Fairless Hills, PA)
An elusive running back who torched defenses with his explosive speed, Steve Slaton led West Virginia during one of the most successful periods in school history. The Levittown, Pennsylvania, native now becomes the seventh Mountaineer player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 2006, Slaton finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award that year, setting the WVU single-season rushing record with 1,744 yards while accumulating 2,104 all-purpose yards.
Making an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2005, Slaton set a then-Big East record with 1,128 rushing yards, including a memorable six-touchdown performance in a triple-overtime victory against Louisville. His MVP performance in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia included a bowl-record 204 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He was named Big East Rookie of the Year while being named a First Team Freshman All-American. He rushed for 1,051 yards in 2007, adding a third consecutive season of more than 1,000 yards.
During his three seasons in Morgantown, WVU went 33-5, winning three consecutive bowls (2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator and the 2008 Fiesta upset of Oklahoma) and boasting final national rankings of No. 5 in 2005, No. 10 in 2006 and No. 6 in 2007. The run included two Big East titles (2005, 2007), the winningest three-year period in WVU history and the second-best record in the nation over the three years.
A three-time All-Big East performer (First Team in 2006, Second Team in 2005, 2007), Slaton finished his college career as WVU's all-time leader in total touchdowns (55), rushing touchdowns (50), and points scored by a non-kicker (330). He and quarterback Pat White formed one of the most prolific rushing duos in NCAA history, each surpassing 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons as just the third pair to ever do so. He rushed for 3,923 yards during his career, adding another 805 receiving and totaling 4,775 all-purpose yards. He finished his career as the NCAA active leader in points per game (9.4) with multiple spots in the conference and school records books.
Selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by Houston, Slaton played four years with the Texans before concluding his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2011. He played with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL for one season before retiring from football and pursuing a career in the culinary arts as a personal chef and kitchen consultant in Houston. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
