Donovin Darius
Encyclopedia
Donovin Lee Darius is a former American football
safety in the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
, and played for nine seasons with the team. He played for the Miami Dolphins
in 2007
. He played college football
at Syracuse.
in Blackwood, New Jersey
before transferring in his junior year. Darius is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School
in Camden, New Jersey
.
Darius played at Syracuse University
, setting the team record for tackles by a defensive back
with 379. He was a Big East All-Conference player in 1995 and 1996, and also lettered in indoor and outdoor hurdles, graduating in 1997 with a degree in exercise science and a minor in coaching.
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
, the highest pick ever by the team for a defensive back. He was the sixth defensive back selected, behind Tebucky Jones
, Duane Starks
, and others. He was named to the All-Rookie team and led Jaguar defensive backs with 108 tackles in 14 games. In 1999 he switched to strong safety and continued to sharpen his skills as a defensive force.
In 2004, Darius led the secondary in tackles for a seventh straight season and posted career highs in forced fumbles and interceptions. His season ending injury in 2005 stopped his consecutive start streak at 37.
In 2004, Darius was fined $75,000 for pulling off an extremely dangerous clothesline tackle on Green Bay Packers
wide receiver
Robert Ferguson. However, Darius later apologized to Ferguson for the incident and visited him at the hospital.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1951069 Prior to his release, he had been with the Jaguars longer than any other active player along with running back
Fred Taylor.
Darius signed a three-year extension on August 29, 2005 which put him under contract through 2008
. However, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
during the Jaguars' second game of the 2005 NFL season
and was placed on injured reserve
.
On November 20, 2006, during a Monday Night Football
game against the New York Giants
, he broke his leg and missed the rest of the 2006 season.
On December 14, 2006, Darius was released by the Jaguars.
Donovin signed with the Oakland Raiders
on January 1, 2007, but was released in the final roster cuts. He was subsequently signed by the Miami Dolphins
, but was released again in October.
Darius signed a one-day ceremonial contract with the Jaguars on March 1, 2011 to retire as a member of the team. He currently serves on the NFL Players Association Executive Committee and resides in Pleasanton, California
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
, and played for nine seasons with the team. He played for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Syracuse.
College career
Darius played for two years at Highland Regional High SchoolHighland Regional High School
Highland Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Blackwood, New Jersey. Its mascot is the Tartan.The school is part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District, a regional public high school district serving students in grades 9 through 12 from three...
in Blackwood, New Jersey
Blackwood, New Jersey
Blackwood is a census-designated place located within Gloucester Township, in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 United States Census, the section population was 4,692...
before transferring in his junior year. Darius is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School
Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a four-year public high school in Camden, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Camden City Public Schools....
in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
.
Darius played at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, setting the team record for tackles by a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
with 379. He was a Big East All-Conference player in 1995 and 1996, and also lettered in indoor and outdoor hurdles, graduating in 1997 with a degree in exercise science and a minor in coaching.
Professional career
Darius was selected 25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the highest pick ever by the team for a defensive back. He was the sixth defensive back selected, behind Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Shermain Jones is a former American football safety in the National Football League. His career began when he was drafted out of Syracuse University in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He is best known for his role on the 2001 Patriots team that won...
, Duane Starks
Duane Starks
Duane Lonell Starks is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 10th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
, and others. He was named to the All-Rookie team and led Jaguar defensive backs with 108 tackles in 14 games. In 1999 he switched to strong safety and continued to sharpen his skills as a defensive force.
In 2004, Darius led the secondary in tackles for a seventh straight season and posted career highs in forced fumbles and interceptions. His season ending injury in 2005 stopped his consecutive start streak at 37.
In 2004, Darius was fined $75,000 for pulling off an extremely dangerous clothesline tackle on Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Robert Ferguson. However, Darius later apologized to Ferguson for the incident and visited him at the hospital.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1951069 Prior to his release, he had been with the Jaguars longer than any other active player along with running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Fred Taylor.
Darius signed a three-year extension on August 29, 2005 which put him under contract through 2008
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
. However, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
during the Jaguars' second game of the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
On November 20, 2006, during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he broke his leg and missed the rest of the 2006 season.
On December 14, 2006, Darius was released by the Jaguars.
Donovin signed with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on January 1, 2007, but was released in the final roster cuts. He was subsequently signed by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but was released again in October.
Darius signed a one-day ceremonial contract with the Jaguars on March 1, 2011 to retire as a member of the team. He currently serves on the NFL Players Association Executive Committee and resides in Pleasanton, California
Sources
- Donovin Darius profile provided by CBS SportsLine
- http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3302312