Teton Saltes (born May 4, 1998) is an American football offensive tackle for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at the University of New Mexico, where he was the 2020 recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy, awarded to the player who "best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement."[1]
| No. 50 – St. Louis Battlehawks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 4, 1998 Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 300 lb (136 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Valley (NM) |
| College: | New Mexico |
| Undrafted: | 2021 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editSaltes initially focused on playing basketball and did not play football until his junior year of high school.[2] After starting football, he received offers from schools such as San Diego State, Texas Tech, and Iowa State. Ultimately, he committed to playing college football at New Mexico in 2016.
College career
editAfter redshirting his true freshman season, Saltes transitioned from the defensive line to the offensive line and earned the starting right tackle job.[3] He was named an honorable mention to the All-Mountain West team in 2019 as a redshirt junior, and was selected to the All-Mountain West third-team by Pro Football Focus.[4][5]
In his redshirt senior season, Saltes was recognized for his community service work, receiving the Wuerffel Trophy, and serving as team captain of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.[1][6]
Professional career
editNew York Jets
editSaltes went undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft, but signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent.[7][8][9] He was waived/injured on August 9, 2021, and placed on injured reserve, and released on October 25.
Michigan Panthers
editSaltes was selected with the fourth pick of the sixth round by the Michigan Panthers on February 22, 2022, during the 2022 USFL draft.[10] He was added to the inactive roster on May 5, 2022,[11] with an illness.[12] He was moved to the active roster on May 11.[13]
Arlington Renegades
editThe Arlington Renegades selected Saltes in the first round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft on January 1, 2023.[14] He was placed on the reserve list by the team on February 24, 2023, and activated on April 25.[15] He re-signed with the team on January 29, 2024.[16] He was released on March 10, 2024.[17]
St. Louis Battlehawks
editOn March 18, 2024, Saltes signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL).[18] He re-signed with the Battlehawks on August 5, 2024.[19]
Personal life
editSaltes lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota before leaving the reservation with his mother when she got into medical school, eventually settling in New Mexico.[20] He still returns to Pine Ridge every summer to mentor children on the reservation, as well as bring awareness to suicides among Native Americans in the United States.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b "Teton Saltes of University of New Mexico Selected as 2020 Wuerffel Trophy Recipient". Wuerffel Trophy. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Pine Ridge native chases dreams, on the 2021 NFL Draft". KOTA. April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Lobos D-lineman and former Valley Viking Teton Saltes has grown". KRQE. July 29, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Dyer Named Second-team All-Mountain West". University of New Mexico Lobos Athletics. December 4, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "College Football 2020: PFF's All-Mountain West Team". Pro Football Focus. December 22, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Teton Saltes Named 2020 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain". University of New Mexico Lobos Athletics. December 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Shark Sports Football [@SharkSportsFB] (May 1, 2021). "Congrats to Teton Saltes ( @Beast__Mobile ) signing with the @nyjets #NFLDraft" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "NFL Draft 2021: Jets undrafted free agent signings tracker (with scouting reports) – Who will Joe Douglas add after picking Zach Wilson, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Elijah Moore, others?". nj.com. May 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Greenberg, Ethan (May 7, 2021). "Jets Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents". NewYorkJets.com.
- ^ Tate, Van (February 23, 2022). "Former Jets and Lobos lineman Teton Saltes taken in USFL Draft". KRQE. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ @USFLPanthers (May 5, 2022). "Players remaining on inactive roster" (Tweet). Retrieved May 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ @USFLPanthers (May 5, 2022). "Game Status Report" (Tweet). Retrieved May 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ @USFLPanthers (May 11, 2022). "Roster Updates" (Tweet). Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Supplemental Draft Picks 2023". XFL.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "XFL Transactions". XFL.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ @UFL_PR (January 29, 2024). "The United Football League has announced the following transactions" (Tweet). Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "UFL Teams Set their Training Camp Rosters to 58". UFLBoard.com. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Player Transactions, Monday March 18, 2024". UFLBoard.com. March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ @UFL_PR (August 5, 2024). "The #UFL has announced the following transactions:" (Tweet). Retrieved August 6, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "SHINING THROUGH: Pine Ridge native preparing for NFL Draft". NewsCenter1. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Pine Ridge reservation suicides guide Native American football player's drive for change". The Coloradoan. Retrieved April 15, 2021.