Jace Sternberger

BIOGRAPHY

Jace Evan Sternberger was born on June 26, 1996 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He is a tight end for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL.

Jace Sternberger played various positions in football, both offensive and defensive, at Kingfisher High School in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He initially played quarterback before his coaches moved him to tight end. In basketball, Sternberger played power forward which put him in a better position to excel at tight end in football. As a junior, he was part of the state championship team that compiled a 14–0 record. As a senior in 2014, he made 42 receptions for 390 yards and eight touchdowns. Sternberger received scholarship offers from various colleges, including Texas State, Kansas, New Mexico, and Sam Houston State. He chose to enroll at Kansas as part of then-head coach David Beaty's first recruiting class.

Due to the limited need for tight ends at Kansas, Sternberger transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. During the 2017 season at the junior college, he had 21 receptions for 336 yards and six touchdowns. Due to his junior college performance, Sternberger was recruited by several programs, including Boise State and Florida State. He was ranked as the 53rd-best junior college player by Rivals.com. During his recruitment, then-Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher accepted the same position at Texas A&M. Sternberger chose to commit to Texas A&M due to Fisher's tight end-heavy offense, wide receiver’s coach Dameyune Craig's recruiting, and the opportunity to play in the SEC.

Sternberger was named a consensus All-American after earning first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and Walter Camp. Sternberger appeared in all 12 games, catching 47 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns. He recorded five catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as an Aggie and was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week following his performance against Northwestern State.

Sternberger was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (75th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. On June 10, 2019, he signed his rookie contract. On September 3, 2019 Sternberger was placed on injured reserve to start the 2019 season. He was designated for return from injured reserve and began practicing on October 16, 2019. He was activated off injured reserve on November 2, 2019. He scored his first NFL touchdown in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers on an eight-yard reception from Aaron Rodgers in the 37–20 loss.

The Packers placed Sternberger on the reserve/COVID-19 list on July 30, 2020. He was activated on August 17, 2020.