John Stephens (American football)

John Milton Stephens (February 23, 1966 – September 1, 2009) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round (17th overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. At 6 feet 1 inch and 215 pounds, he played college football for the Northwestern State Demons in Louisiana. Stephens played in six NFL seasons from 1988 to 1993 for the Patriots, the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs. As a rookie for the Patriots during the 1988 NFL season, Stephens rushed for 1,168 yards and was selected to his only Pro Bowl.

Stephens was married to All-American college swimmer Sybil Smith. Their daughter Sloane Stephens, born in 1993, is a professional tennis player who won the 2017 US Open women's singles title. His son John Stephens Jr. played football at Texas Christian University.

Stephens was twice charged with rape. In 1994, during his final NFL season, he was accused of raping a woman at a Kansas City hotel. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation. Then, in May 2009, he was arrested in Caddo Parish, Louisiana and charged with forcible rape of a 51-year-old woman. That charge was still pending when Stephens was killed in a car accident in Keithville, Louisiana on September 1, 2009.