Exclusive: Eli Stowers is Meeting Sky-High Expectations With Gratefulness and Faith

Nashville–If Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers wanted to, he could likely find a new preseason accolade that he’s been given every time he opens his phone.

Stowers has been named a preseason First-Team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Phil Steele and Athlon Sports and was selected Preseason First-Team All-SEC by the league’s media. That’s excluding his selection to the Walter Camp watch list, which was announced on Monday.

No Vanderbilt football player in recent memory has been regarded as highly as Stowers has prior to a season, but he knows that a status like that can be futile if he doesn’t to keep humility in mind as he receives each honor.

“I think it’s important to be grateful for it because it’s people recognizing the work that you put in and just having a good season, it’s a blessing and I am so grateful for it,” Stowers told Vandy on SI, “But, at the same time, it really means nothing. There’s a lot of aspirations that I have in this game like getting to the next level, being the best tight end to walk the earth. If that’s not the goal, then you’re kind of undershooting yourself. So, I have to be grateful for it, but not allow that to affect my work.”

Stowers' work in 2024 was his best yet and ended with him racking up 49 receptions, 638 yards and five touchdowns as well as a postseason First-Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches. Since then, he’s seen himself on NFL Draft boards, he’s hung out with country music star Thomas Rhett and is expected to be one of the SEC’s top performers.

He’s careful not to stop being himself, though. He still attends Avenue South Church in Nashville with a few of his teammates every Sunday and shares his faith every time he’s in front of a microphone.The Vanderbilt tight end says he attends Vanderbilt team chaplain “Brother B’s” on-campus ministry for athletes “Who You With Ministries.” He still takes a second to stop and say ‘thank you’ to a media member who calls him a spiritual mentor of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.

Things have to be different for Stowers to operate the same way that he did this time last summer as he was fighting for a starting role in his second season as a full-time tight end.

“He don’t have Instagram, he don’t have Twitter,” Pavia–who is Stowers’ roommate–said. “I got to keep him updated sometimes. He comes three weeks late with a crazy thing that’s been old, but he doesn’t buy in to any of [the preseason accolades].”

Stowers says that when people acknowledge his frequently active Twitter account and Instagram account that often posts pictures of him accompanied by Bible verses and say “Oh, I just saw you posting,” he reminds them that “I don’t have it on my phone, I just got somebody running my account.”

The Vanderbilt tight end says his girlfriend Analena runs his accounts for him in his efforts to “eliminate distractions.” Perhaps it means he’s late on a piece of sports news here or there, but he feels as if it’s the best thing for him at this stage of his life and career.

“I haven’t had social media on my phone in probably over a year now,” Stowers said. “I’d probably say it had more to do with my faith than it did distractions. I guess it kind of goes hand in hand. There’s a lot of stuff on social media that as a Christian you don’t need to be putting your eyes on and listening to. It’s just kind of for me to focus more on God.”

Stowers’ faith has been well documented through his intention to bring Pavia and another group of his teammates closer to God through mentorship as well as the two shreds of tape he wears on the backside of his arms on gamedays, one of which says “Team Jesus” while the other highlights a verse of his choosing.

Pavia often raves about Stowers’ ability to blow away NFL teams in a combine-like setting, but he appears to believe there’s another reason for his tight end earning the praise that he’s been given this preseason.

“Jesus,” Pavia said of Stowers’ biggest strength when meeting with the media at SEC Media Day. “He’s really walking the path of Jesus Christ and that’s what really helps him. That’s what really helps him, he’s God blessed.”

Stowers says he feels blessed in more ways than one at this stage of his life, particularly through the community including his parents, girlfriend and sister “that’s really proud” of him and often sends him messages regarding the company his name is in these days.

While those messages are well-intended, Stowers has learned that wading through them and avoiding the potential negative impact that they have is a skill.

“When they see something like that they’re going to send it to me,” Stowers said. “It’s like ‘Wow, I’m really appreciative that someone could say that about me, but at the same time it’s all preseason stuff. This next season is really what’s important for me, it’s my last college season. This is what I’ve gotta focus on more than that.”

Stowers’ focus on the field appears to be solely on the blocking ability that he’s trying to improve in his third year at the tight end position and Vanderbilt’s hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Until then Stowers is just focused on each rep and each day, though.

“He’s got such a maturity,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “That complements his physical skills [and] put him among the best of the best.”