2021 Football Roster

Jersey Number 49
Traveon Freshwater
- Position:
- Defensive Line
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 270
- Class:
- Redshirt Freshman
- Hometown:
- Elizabeth City
- High School:
- Northeastern HS
- Major:
- Sport Studies
Will open second season on ECUās active roster battling for a two-deep role on the Piratesā front line and as top-tier contributor on special teams ⦠Was one of the most highly-regarded and publicized signees in program history and has continued development and acclimation process which should allow for additional snaps in 2021 ⦠Delivers plenty of size, strength and intensity, but will have to overcome limited action in the first two campaigns before being in a position to fully impact the Piratesā defense ⦠Credited with a sack (-4 yards) during the Purple-Gold Spring game on April 24.
Ā
2020: Experienced action in one (1) game as a redshirt freshman, playing in the season opener against UCF ⦠Did not appear in the remaining eight contests to close out the year ⦠Credited with one tackle, an assisted stop (with Bruce Bivens) on a rushing play during the second quarter vs. the Knights at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Ā
2019: Redshirted as a true freshman, thus did not experience any game-day snaps.
Ā
High School: A three-time Associated Press All-State selection (2016, 2017, 2018) on defense under head coach Antonio Moore ⦠Named the Elizabeth City Daily Advance 2017 Area Player-of-the-Year ⦠Was thrice chosen to the All-Northeastern Coastal Conference squad (both offense/running back and defense/end in 2017) ⦠Was also the conferenceās defensive player-of-the-year in 2017 ⦠Earned All-USA North Carolina First-Team honors by USA Today ⦠Helped the Eagles to a 49-8 four-year composite record (21-1 conference), which includes three conference titles, a 14-1 record in 2018 and an appearance in the NCHSAA Class 2-A championship game ⦠Recorded 482 tackles (347 solo) with 80.0 career sacks (-439 yards) as a four-year starter on defense (48 games) ⦠Registered at least five tackles in all 48 career contests played and recorded 10 or more stops 29 times ⦠Averaged just over 10.0 tackles per outing ⦠Offensively, rushed for 4,727 yards on 337 carries with 61 touchdowns ⦠Ran for 1,000 or more yards in a season three-straight years, including a personal-best 2,015 yards as a junior ⦠Authored 24 career 100-yard rushing games ⦠Opened prep career playing in nine games and booked 64 tackles (54 solo) with 12.0 sacks (-71 yards) ⦠During sophomore season, netted 150 stops (112 solo) with 22.0 sacks (-124 yards) in 14 contests ⦠Carried the ball 110 times for 1,441 yards (103.0 ypg) with 23 scores ⦠Followed sophomore season with a breakout junior year, registering 157 tackles (109 solo) with 27.0 sacks (-145 yards) ⦠Offensively rushed for 2,015 yards on 118 carries with 22 TDs and 11 100-yard games ⦠Integral part of a NHS program that went 13-1 record in 2017 and made a third-round state playoff appearance (lost to state champion Wallace-Rose Hill in a game where he rushed for 188 yards on 23 carries and made 12 tackles) ⦠Top rushing performance as a junior was a career-best 253-yard effort vs. Clinton in the state playoffs ⦠Sacked current ECU QB Holton Ahlers twice in the ā17 season opener which ended up being a 55-49 win for NHS over Conley (sack came at the NSH 10-yard line when Conley was vying to score the game-winning TD) ⦠Named to 2018 Butkus Award High School Watch List prior to senior campaign ⦠Closed out career recording third-straight season with at least 100 tackles (119) and 1,200-plus yards rushing (1,263) in 2018 ⦠Additionally, registered 19 sacks for minus 99 yards ⦠Scored 16 touchdowns on the ground with seven 100-yard contests ⦠Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game Combine in January, 2018 ⦠Also lettered in basketball, averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 25 career contests ⦠Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com ⦠Was listed as the 17th-best player in the state and the nationās No. 16 inside linebacker by 247Sports.com, while Rivals.com rated him as the countryās No. 7 weakside defensive end ⦠Officially committed to ECU on Aug. 6, 2018 ⦠Also recruited by Duke, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest ⦠Competed on ECUās campus during the Piratesā Beast of the East 7-on-7 Tournament in June, 2018 ⦠Was invited to play in the 2018 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Ā
Personal: Son of Jennifer and Robert Freshwater ⦠Head coach (Antonio Moore) first saw Freshwater play for the River City Rampage at age 7 ⦠A sport studies major.
Ā
2020: Experienced action in one (1) game as a redshirt freshman, playing in the season opener against UCF ⦠Did not appear in the remaining eight contests to close out the year ⦠Credited with one tackle, an assisted stop (with Bruce Bivens) on a rushing play during the second quarter vs. the Knights at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Ā
2019: Redshirted as a true freshman, thus did not experience any game-day snaps.
Ā
High School: A three-time Associated Press All-State selection (2016, 2017, 2018) on defense under head coach Antonio Moore ⦠Named the Elizabeth City Daily Advance 2017 Area Player-of-the-Year ⦠Was thrice chosen to the All-Northeastern Coastal Conference squad (both offense/running back and defense/end in 2017) ⦠Was also the conferenceās defensive player-of-the-year in 2017 ⦠Earned All-USA North Carolina First-Team honors by USA Today ⦠Helped the Eagles to a 49-8 four-year composite record (21-1 conference), which includes three conference titles, a 14-1 record in 2018 and an appearance in the NCHSAA Class 2-A championship game ⦠Recorded 482 tackles (347 solo) with 80.0 career sacks (-439 yards) as a four-year starter on defense (48 games) ⦠Registered at least five tackles in all 48 career contests played and recorded 10 or more stops 29 times ⦠Averaged just over 10.0 tackles per outing ⦠Offensively, rushed for 4,727 yards on 337 carries with 61 touchdowns ⦠Ran for 1,000 or more yards in a season three-straight years, including a personal-best 2,015 yards as a junior ⦠Authored 24 career 100-yard rushing games ⦠Opened prep career playing in nine games and booked 64 tackles (54 solo) with 12.0 sacks (-71 yards) ⦠During sophomore season, netted 150 stops (112 solo) with 22.0 sacks (-124 yards) in 14 contests ⦠Carried the ball 110 times for 1,441 yards (103.0 ypg) with 23 scores ⦠Followed sophomore season with a breakout junior year, registering 157 tackles (109 solo) with 27.0 sacks (-145 yards) ⦠Offensively rushed for 2,015 yards on 118 carries with 22 TDs and 11 100-yard games ⦠Integral part of a NHS program that went 13-1 record in 2017 and made a third-round state playoff appearance (lost to state champion Wallace-Rose Hill in a game where he rushed for 188 yards on 23 carries and made 12 tackles) ⦠Top rushing performance as a junior was a career-best 253-yard effort vs. Clinton in the state playoffs ⦠Sacked current ECU QB Holton Ahlers twice in the ā17 season opener which ended up being a 55-49 win for NHS over Conley (sack came at the NSH 10-yard line when Conley was vying to score the game-winning TD) ⦠Named to 2018 Butkus Award High School Watch List prior to senior campaign ⦠Closed out career recording third-straight season with at least 100 tackles (119) and 1,200-plus yards rushing (1,263) in 2018 ⦠Additionally, registered 19 sacks for minus 99 yards ⦠Scored 16 touchdowns on the ground with seven 100-yard contests ⦠Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game Combine in January, 2018 ⦠Also lettered in basketball, averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 25 career contests ⦠Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com ⦠Was listed as the 17th-best player in the state and the nationās No. 16 inside linebacker by 247Sports.com, while Rivals.com rated him as the countryās No. 7 weakside defensive end ⦠Officially committed to ECU on Aug. 6, 2018 ⦠Also recruited by Duke, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest ⦠Competed on ECUās campus during the Piratesā Beast of the East 7-on-7 Tournament in June, 2018 ⦠Was invited to play in the 2018 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Ā
Personal: Son of Jennifer and Robert Freshwater ⦠Head coach (Antonio Moore) first saw Freshwater play for the River City Rampage at age 7 ⦠A sport studies major.
East Carolina Head Coach Blake Harrell's Weekly Press Conference (Oct. 13, 2025)
Monday, October 13
East Carolina Postgame Interviews (Oct. 9, 2025)
Friday, October 10
10/07/25 Inside Pirate Athletics
Tuesday, October 07
East Carolina Head Football Coach Blake Harrell Weekly Press Conference (Oct. 6, 2025)
Monday, October 06