Darian Durant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darian Durant

Durant with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Born:	(1982-08-19) August 19, 1982 (age 42) Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Career information
Status	Retired
CFL status	American
Position(s)	QB
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg)
College	North Carolina
High school	Florence (SC) Wilson
Hand	Right
Career history
As player
2005	Baltimore Ravens*
2006–2016	Saskatchewan Roughriders
2017	Montreal Alouettes
2018*	Winnipeg Blue Bombers
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
2× Grey Cup champion (2007, 2013) CFL passing yards leader (2010) CFL passing touchdowns leader (2013) CFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (323)
CFL West All-Star	2009, 2013
Career stats
Passing completions	2,500
Passing attempts	4,001
Percentage	62.5
TD–INT	164–115
Passing yards	31,740
Passer rating	88.9
Playing stats at CFL.ca

Darian Bernard Durant (born August 19, 1982) is a former professional Canadian football quarterback from the United States. He played college football at the University of North Carolina. By the end of his college career, he held many school records.

Durant signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2006. He became the team's main starting quarterback in 2009. He was named a CFL West Division All-Star in 2009 and 2013. Durant led the Saskatchewan Roughriders to win the 101st Grey Cup in 2013. This big win happened on their home field. He also played for the Montreal Alouettes in 2017. His brother, Justin, played as a linebacker in the National Football League.

Early Life and Family

Durant was born on August 19, 1982, in Florence, South Carolina. His parents are Betty and Israel Durant. He has three brothers and one sister. His younger brother, Justin, played for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. His older brother, Keyshawn, was also a quarterback.

Playing Football as a Youngster

High School Football

Durant went to Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina. In his final year of high school, he led his team to the state semi-finals. Durant set a school record with 2,446 passing yards. He also tied his own record with 25 touchdown passes. This record was first set during his second year of high school.

College Football

Durant decided to play college football at the University of North Carolina in 2000. In 2001, during his first year, Durant set new school records for a freshman. These records included 17 touchdown passes and 1,843 passing yards. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Week five times.

After his college career, Durant was one of the most successful athletes at the school. He held 51 offensive records. In his second year, he set a school record for passing yards in one game with 417. This happened during a win against Arizona State. By the end of his time at UNC, Durant held records for total passing attempts, completions, touchdowns, and yards. He also earned a degree in African-American studies.

Playing Football as a Professional

NFL Career

Durant was not chosen in the 2005 NFL draft. However, he signed a contract with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent. He joined their training camp. He was briefly on the team's practice squad. But he was released during the 2005 season. This was because of worries about his size.

CFL Career

Darian Durant's journey to the CFL was a bit complicated. His rights were first on a list for the BC Lions in 2002. Later, in 2004, his rights were with the Ottawa Renegades. When the Renegades stopped playing in 2006, a special draft was held. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats got his rights.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Before the special draft, the Tiger-Cats traded Durant's rights to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Durant officially signed with the Roughriders on May 11, 2006.

Early Years (2006-2008)

In 2006, Durant was the fourth-string quarterback. He served as a backup for eight games. He completed one pass for 14 yards. He also had one rush for 20 yards. In 2007, he was the third-string quarterback. He was on the team when they won the 95th Grey Cup. He did not play in any games that season.

In 2008, Durant became the third-string quarterback again. He got his first start in game two due to an injury to the main quarterback. He won his first three starts. He finished the season with four starts and played in four other games. He had seven passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. In January 2009, Durant signed a new contract with the Roughriders.

Becoming a Starter (2009)

Durant became the Roughriders' starting quarterback for the 2009 season. He was the first Roughrider quarterback to start all 18 regular season games since 1992. Durant was named the Roughriders' nominee for the CFL Most Outstanding Player award. He was also chosen as a West Division All-Star.

Saskatchewan finished first in their division for the first time since 1976. They won the West Final and went to the Grey Cup. In the Grey Cup game, Durant scored a rushing touchdown. This put Saskatchewan ahead of Montreal. However, Montreal came back and won the game 28–27. Durant finished the 2009 season with 4,348 passing yards and 501 rushing yards. He threw 24 touchdown passes.

Leading the League (2010)

In 2010, Durant started the season strong. He led the Roughriders to a comeback win against Montreal. He threw five touchdown passes and had 478 passing yards in that game. He was named the CFL's Offensive Player of the Week.

Durant had a career-high 500 passing yards in a game against Calgary. He was named Offensive Player of the Month for September. He became only the second Roughrider quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season. He was again nominated for the CFL Most Outstanding Player Award.

Durant led the Roughriders to a 10–8 record. They won the West Semi-Final and the West Final. In the Grey Cup, they played Montreal again. Montreal won 21–18. Durant set career highs in 2010 for pass attempts (644), completions (391), and passing yards (5,542). He also led the league in rushing attempts (80) and rushing yards (618) for a quarterback.

Injuries and Comebacks (2011-2016)

The 2011 season was tough for Durant and the team. He played with a broken bone in his foot. He missed the last two games. The team finished with only 5 wins. Despite this, his contract was extended through 2014.

In 2012, Durant helped the Roughriders start 3–0. He did not throw an interception in these games. He suffered a neck injury and then a hip injury later in the season. He led the team back to the playoffs.

The 2013 season was one of Durant's best. He set a career high with 31 touchdowns. He also had a career-high passer rating of 95.7. He started the year with 212 straight pass attempts without an interception. This was a CFL record. He led the Riders to an 11–7 record. They won the Western Semi-Final and the Western Final. Durant then led the Riders to their fourth Grey Cup championship. This historic win happened on their home field at Mosaic Stadium.

In 2014, Durant started the first ten games with an 8-2 record. However, he suffered several injuries. He injured his right throwing hand. Then, he tore a tendon in his right elbow, which needed surgery. This injury ended his season.

Durant returned from injury for the 2015 season. In the first game, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. This injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. The Roughriders had a tough year, finishing with a 3–15 record.

For the 2016 season, Durant signed a new one-year contract. He recovered from his Achilles injury and started game one. In week four, he left a game with an ankle sprain. He missed two weeks but returned in Week 7. By August 20, Durant had thrown 323 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. This set a new CFL record. The team did not make the playoffs that year.

Montreal Alouettes

The Roughriders and Durant could not agree on a new contract. So, his rights were traded to the Montreal Alouettes on January 13, 2017. On January 19, 2017, Durant signed a three-year contract with the Alouettes. He struggled in his first season in Montreal. He started 15 games but only won three. He threw more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (15) for the first time in his career. The Alouettes released him on January 15, 2018.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Durant signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on January 20, 2018. However, on May 11, 2018, Darian Durant announced his retirement from professional football. This decision surprised the Bombers.

After Football

In 2023, the 2013 Grey Cup team was honored. They were inducted into the Saskatchewan Roughrider Plaza of Honour. Durant returned to Saskatchewan for this special event. In 2024, Durant himself was inducted into the Plaza of Honour.

Career Statistics

Personal Life

Durant has a tattoo on his left arm. It says "Against all odds – I'm gonna shine." He believes this phrase explains his life. His teammates and coaches say he is a very strong competitor. He often played through injuries and illnesses.

Durant also helped a local Ford dealer. He lent his name to a special edition Ford F-150 truck. This was to celebrate the Roughriders' 100th anniversary. The truck featured his logo and Roughriders details. Part of the money from each truck sale went to KidSport, a charity Durant supported.