Donovin Darius

Donovin Darius

No. 20, 40
Safety
Personal information
Date of birth: August 12, 1975 (1975-08-12) (age 36)
Place of birth: Camden, New Jersey
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	Weight: 225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College: Syracuse
NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25
Debuted in 1998 for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Last played in 2007 for the Miami Dolphins
Career history
Jacksonville Jaguars (1998–2006) Oakland Raiders (2007)* Miami Dolphins (2007) *Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
2x All-Big East (1995-1996) Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1997)
Stats at NFL.com

Donovin Lee Darius (born August 12, 1975) 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.

College career

Darius played for two years at Highland Regional High School in Blackwood, New Jersey before transferring in his junior year. Darius is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, New Jersey.^[1][2]

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.

Professional career

Darius was selected 25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft 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.[1] 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

References

1. ^ Staff. "Oakland signs Donovin Darius The veteran safety from Camden adds experience to the Raiders' secondary.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 11, 2007. Accessed September 7, 2011. "Darius, who will turn 32 next month, had been a mainstay in Jacksonville's secondary since he was the club's first-round pick in the 1998 draft out of Syracuse. But the Jaguars released him in June, trying to get younger and faster on defense. He is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High in Camden."
2. ^ Donovin Darius, National Football League. Accessed November 12, 2007.

Sources

• Donovin Darius profile provided by CBS SportsLine
• [2]

Persondata
Name	Darius, Donovin
Alternative names
Short description	American football safety
Date of birth	August 12, 1975
Place of birth	Camden, New Jersey
Date of death
Place of death