Cornell Powell

Cornell Powell (born October 30, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. Powell is the first player in history to win championships in the NCAA (2), UFL, and NFL (2).

Early life Powell attended JH Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina. As a senior, he had 65 receptions for 1,557 yards and 38 total touchdowns. He committed to Clemson University to play college football.

College career Powell spent 2016 to 2019 as a backup receiver. He took a redshirt in 2018 after playing in only four games. During his career, he totaled 40 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns. He became a starter for the first time in his redshirt senior season in 2020. He finished the season with 53 receptions for 882 yards and seven touchdowns.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs Powell was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round (181st overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021. Powell was waived on August 31 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs on February 2, 2022.

On August 30, Powell was waived by the Chiefs and again re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was placed on the practice squad/injured list on January 3, 2023. Powell won Super Bowl LVII where the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 15.

On August 29, 2023, for the third consecutive year, Powell started the season as waived by the Chiefs and re-signed to the practice squad. He won a second consecutive Super Bowl when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. His contract expired when the team's season ended on February 11, 2024.

On February 21, 2024, Powell re-signed with the Chiefs. He was waived on August 27. He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 22. He was released on November 19.

Seattle Seahawks On November 26, 2024, Powell was signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 6, 2025. Powell was waived by the Seahawks on February 22.

DC Defenders On March 3, 2025, Powell signed with the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). Powell led the league with seven receiving touchdowns, recording 418 yards on 29 receptions across nine games.

Houston Texans On August 19, 2025, Powell signed with the Houston Texans. He was waived by the Texans on August 26 as part of final roster cuts.

Pittsburgh Steelers On November 25, 2025, Powell was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad. He was released by the Steelers on December 2.

DC Defenders (second stint) On January 15, 2026, Powell was selected by the DC Defenders in the 2026 UFL draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint) On August 10, 2026, Powell signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On August 28, he was waived.

Career statistics

NFL Legend Won the Super Bowl Led the league Bold Career high YearTeamGamesReceiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2021 KC 2022 KC 3 0 — — — — — 2023 KC 2024 KC Career 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

UFL Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2025 DC 9 7 29 418 14.4 44 7 2026 DC 9 9 34 491 14.4 54 1 Career 18 16 63 909 14.4 54 8

College Season Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg TD 2016 Clemson 9 0 12 87 7.3 0 2017 Clemson 14 0 8 57 7.1 1 2018 Clemson 4 0 5 63 12.6 0 2019 Clemson 15 0 15 122 8.1 2 2020 Clemson 12 12 53 882 16.6 7 Career 54 12 93 1,211 13.0 10