He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team All-American after setting the school's single-season record for rushing yards (1,464) in 2001.
[4] Stephens committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football under head coach Phillip Fulmer.
[5] In Stephens's freshman season with the Volunteers, he was part of a strong backfield that contained Jamal Lewis and Shawn Bryson.
Tennessee scored a touchdown late and on the two-point conversion, Stephens caught a pass from quarterback Tee Martin in the fourth quarter.
[7] In Stephens's sophomore season, he saw more work despite being in a crowded backfield with Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, and Shawn Bryson.
[9] The season culminated in the Fiesta Bowl where the Volunteers defeated the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 23–16.
[13] As a redshirt junior, Stephens entered the 2000 season with Travis Henry to form a solid combination of running backs for the 8–4 Volunteers.
[17] In his collegiate career at Tennessee, Stephens had 488 rushes for 2,338 yards and 21 touchdowns in regular season play.