Daren Bates facts for kids
Bates with the Tennessee Titans in 2019
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| Carolina Panthers | |||||||||
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| Position: | Assistant special teams coordinator | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 27, 1990 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Olive Branch (Olive Branch, Mississippi) | ||||||||
| College: | Auburn | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2013 | ||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Daren Weston Bates (born November 27, 1990) is an American who used to play professional football. He was a linebacker and now works as an assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers, helping with special teams. Daren played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He started his professional career in 2013 with the Los Angeles Rams. He also played for teams like the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans. Before joining the Panthers, he coached for the Seattle Seahawks.
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Early Life and High School Football
Daren Bates grew up playing football. For his first three years of high school, he attended Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee. While there, he was named a top safety in Tennessee twice.
For his senior year, Daren moved to Olive Branch High School in Mississippi. During this year, he made 90 tackles and caught four interceptions. He also gained almost 900 yards on offense. His great performance earned him a spot on the MHSAA All-Region 1 Class 5A team.
College Football Career
Daren Bates played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He was a very active player on the field.
Freshman Year (2009)
In 2009, Daren started all 13 games as a safety. He made 70 tackles and recovered one fumble. He was one of the top players in the SEC for tackles per game.
Sophomore Year (2010)
In 2010, Daren played in 12 games and started nine of them. He had 48 tackles, which was the eighth-highest on his team. He was recognized as a Freshman All-SEC player and a second-team Freshman All-American.
Junior and Senior Years (2011-2012)
In 2011, Daren switched from safety to linebacker and started all 13 games. He led his team with 104 tackles. He also had 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. In 2012, he continued to play well, making 94 tackles, batting away four passes, and recovering two fumbles. He also intercepted one pass.
Professional Football Career
Daren Bates began his professional football journey in 2013.
St. Louis Rams (2013-2015)
The St. Louis Rams signed Daren Bates in 2013, even though he wasn't chosen in the NFL Draft. He made the team's final roster. He mostly played on special teams, which are plays like kickoffs and punts.
On October 13, 2013, Daren scored his first professional touchdown against the Houston Texans. He returned a fumbled kickoff for a touchdown. In 2014, he made an amazing play against the New York Giants. He jumped over a player and blocked a field goal attempt.
In 2015, Daren was chosen as one of the team captains for the Rams. He had two seasons in a row (2014-2015) where he made many tackles on special teams.
Oakland Raiders (2016)
Daren Bates signed with the Oakland Raiders on March 14, 2016. He played one season with the team.
Tennessee Titans (2017-2019, 2020)
Daren joined the Tennessee Titans on March 10, 2017. He signed a three-year contract. In 2017, he had a career-high 16 special teams tackles, which was the second most on the team. In 2018, he was named the special teams captain for the Titans and made 10 special teams tackles.
After a brief time with the Houston Texans in 2020, Daren returned to the Titans. He was part of their practice squad and was moved to the active roster for several games before being fully promoted.
Atlanta Falcons (2021)
On October 18, 2021, Daren Bates joined the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. He was later moved to the active roster on November 2, 2021. He was placed on injured reserve in November but was activated again in December.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Daren Bates moved into coaching. In 2023, he worked as an assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks. In 2024, he became the assistant special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. He also co-hosts a podcast called "Raw Room."
