| Isaiah Stalbird | |
| Current Team: | New Orleans Saints |
| Number: | 44 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Birth Date: | 16 July 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Kearney, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 1 |
| Weight Lb: | 215 |
| High School: | Kearney (Kearney, Nebraska) |
| College: | Nebraska (2018–2019) South Dakota State (2020–2023) |
| Undraftedyear: | 2024 |
| Pastteams: |
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| Status: | Practice squad |
| Highlights: |
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| Statseason: | 2024 |
| Statweek: | 6 |
| Statlabel1: | Tackles |
| Statvalue1: | 3 |
| Pfr: | StalIs00 |
Isaiah Stalbird (born July 16, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
Stalbird was born on July 16, 2000, and grew up in Kearney, Nebraska.[1] He attended Kearney High School where he competed in football, soccer and wrestling.[1] He was a two-way player in football and helped the team reach the state finals in his senior year while being their leader in receiving yards, touchdowns, and fumble recoveries.[2] He had 393 receiving yards and six touchdowns, 77 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in his last year, being selected first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and Super-State team by the Lincoln Journal Star.[1] He walked-on to play college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[3]
Stalbird redshirted as a true freshman at Nebraska in 2018.[1] The following year, he appeared in 12 games, mainly on special teams, and made 13 tackles and a blocked punt.[4] After the 2019 season, he transferred to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.[3]
Stalbird appeared in all 10 games for South Dakota State during the 2020–21 season, helping them reach the FCS national championship while totaling 30 tackles and four pass breakups.[5] Initially a safety with the Jackrabbits, he switched to linebacker for the fall 2021 season.[6] He started 14 of 15 games that year and was second on the team with 73 tackles, also being tied for the lead with two forced fumbles.[5] In 2022, he started 10 games and was third on the Jackrabbits with 55 tackles and was also third with four pass breakups.[5] Stalbird helped South Dakota State win the 2022 national championship over North Dakota State.[7] He played a final season for the team in 2023 and won another national championship, ending the 2023 season with 80 tackles, three sacks and five pass breakups.[8] He ended his collegiate career with 238 tackles, 18.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), 18 pass deflections, and five forced fumbles.[9]
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Stalbird signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.[10] He was also selected in the 10th round (78th overall) of the 2024 UFL draft by the Michigan Panthers.[11] He was waived by the Saints on August 27, 2024, then re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[12] [13] He was elevated to the active roster on September 14, for the team's Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys, and made his debut in the game, recording one tackle while appearing on 14 special teams snaps.[14] [15]