Zion Childress
| No. 48 – Dallas Cowboys | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 21, 2002 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | New Caney (New Caney, Texas) |
| College: | Texas State (2020–2021) Kentucky (2022–2024) |
| NFL draft: | 2025: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
Zion Childress (born January 21, 2002) is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and for the Texas State Bobcats.
Early life and high school
Childress attended New Caney High School located in New Caney, Texas. Coming out of high school, he committed to play college football for the Texas State Bobcats.[1]
College career
Texas State
During his freshman season in 2020, Childress played in all 12 games, making six starts, where he recorded 61 tackles with one going for a loss, four pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.[2] In week one of the 2021 season, he recorded seven tackles and a forced fumble versus Baylor.[3] Childress finished the 2021 season, notching 74 tackles, five pass deflections, an interception, and two forced fumbles.[4] After the conclusion of the 2021 season, he decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[5]
Kentucky
Childress transferred to play for the Kentucky Wildcats.[6] During the 2022 season, he recorded 34 tackles, a sack, and three pass deflections in 13 games.[7] In the 2023 season, Childress was named a team captain, starting in all 13 games, where he tallied 59 tackles with two being for a loss, a sack, three pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.[2] During the 2024 season, he totaled 55 tackles with six being for a loss, a sack, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.[8]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Bench press | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄4 in (1.81 m) |
199 lb (90 kg) |
31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) |
8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) |
4.35 s | 7.08 s | 14 reps | ||||||
| All values from Pro Day[9] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2025 NFL draft, Childress signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.[10] He enters the 2025 season fighting for a 53-man roster spot and a starting spot, as one of the team's top UDFA's.[11][12]
References
- ^ Luckett, Adam (April 26, 2025). "Zion Childress inks UDFA deal with Dallas Cowboys". On3.com. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Gershon, Aaron. "Zion Childress signs with Cowboys as undrafted free agent". 247Sports. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Ciardello, Keff (September 10, 2021). "Texas State notebook: Childress is new to his position, but certainly not to football". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Raley, Dan. "Portal-Dependent Huskies Offer, Host Former Texas State Safety". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Craven, Mike (April 25, 2022). "Texas State loses star safety Zion Childress to transfer portal". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Farner, Keith. "Zion Childress, Texas State DB transfer, commits to SEC program". Saturday Down South. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Shelton, Hunter. "How Zion Childress' Time as a High School QB is Helping Him Become a Leader in Kentucky's Secondary". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Sanchez, Josh. "Cowboys UDFA enters starting CB battle after making waves in camp". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ "Zion Childress College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Elijah, Alec. "Kentucky's Zion Childress Lands with Dallas Cowboys After NFL Draft". Athlon Sports. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Hoyt, Joseph (August 7, 2025). "What we learned from Cowboys camp on Thursday: UDFA Zion Childress earns starting reps". Dallas News. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Drummond, K.D. (July 27, 2025). "UDFA looks to turn one-handed training camp INT into role in Cowboys secondary". Cowboys Wire. Retrieved August 9, 2025.