Darnell Dockett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darnell Dockett

Dockett at Super Bowl XLIV Media Day
No. 90
Position:	Defensive end Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1981-05-27) May 27, 1981 (age 44) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High school:	Paint Branch (Burtonsville, Maryland)
College:	Florida State (1999–2003)
NFL Draft:	2004 / Round: 3 / Pick: 64
Career history
Arizona Cardinals (2004) San Francisco 49ers (2015)*
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pro (2009) 3× Pro Bowl (2007, 2009, 2010) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004) National champion (1999) Second-team All-American (2003) ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2003) 2× First-team All-ACC (2001, 2003) Second-team All-ACC (2000)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 472 Sacks: 40.5 Forced fumbles: 9 Fumble recoveries: 14 Pass deflections: 9 Interceptions: 4 Defensive touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Darnell Maurice Dockett (born May 27, 1981) is an American former professional football player. He played as a defensive end for 11 seasons. Most of his career was with the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). The Cardinals picked him in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.

Darnell Dockett started his career as a defensive tackle. Later, the Cardinals changed their defense style. This led him to switch to playing as a defensive end.

Early Life and High School Football

Darnell Dockett started playing football a bit later than some kids. In his very first youth game, he accidentally ran the wrong way with the ball!

He went to Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland. There, he became a star player. He set a school record with 47 sacks during his high school career. In his senior year, he made 171 tackles and 15 sacks. He was named Maryland Player of the Year. He also earned All-American honors from USA Today and Parade.

Many colleges wanted Dockett to play for them. The Sporting News ranked him as the 17th best high school player in the country. He chose to play for Florida State University. He picked Florida State over other big schools like Ohio State and North Carolina.

College Football Career

Dockett played for the Florida State Seminoles at Florida State University. Their coach was Bobby Bowden.

Starting at Florida State

In his first year (1999), Dockett was a redshirt. This means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain experience without using up a year of his college eligibility. That year, the Seminoles won the national championship.

In 2000, Dockett became a starter at defensive tackle. He played in 10 games. He made 66 tackles, which was the most for any freshman on the team. He also had 19 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Because of his great play, he was named a freshman All-American. He was also Football News' freshman defensive player of the year.

Becoming a Star Player

As a sophomore, Dockett became one of the best defensive linemen in college football. He started all 12 games. Even though opposing teams often used two players to block him, he still led all defensive linemen with 68 tackles. He also set a new Florida State record with 22 tackles for loss in one season. In a game against Georgia Tech, he set another school record with five tackles for loss in a single game. He was chosen for the first-team All-ACC team.

In his junior year, Dockett continued to be a key player. He started all 13 games. He made at least four tackles in 12 of those games. He broke a 22-year-old school record for career tackles for loss. He finished his college career as a four-year starter. He had 10.5 sacks and 247 tackles. He also set a school record with 65 tackles for loss.

Professional Football Career

Arizona Cardinals Highlights

Dockett (#90) playing against the New York Jets in 2012.

The Arizona Cardinals picked Darnell Dockett in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Some teams were hesitant to draft him due to some challenges he faced off the field.

He had a quiet start to his NFL career. But the 2007 season was his breakout year. He recorded nine sacks in 16 games. In the 2008 season, the Cardinals won their division. They then made a surprising run to Super Bowl XLIII. They lost a close game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that Super Bowl, Dockett had three sacks, which tied a Super Bowl record!

The Cardinals changed their defense to a 3-4 defense. This meant Dockett often played as a defensive end. He was chosen to start in the 2010 Pro Bowl as a defensive tackle.

On September 1, 2010, Dockett signed a big contract extension with the Cardinals. He said he wanted to "retire an Arizona Cardinal." This showed his loyalty to the team.

Unfortunately, on August 18, 2014, Dockett tore a ligament in his knee (ACL). This injury ended his 2014 season. The Cardinals released him on February 27, 2015.

San Francisco 49ers and Retirement

On March 5, 2015, Dockett signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. However, he was released by the 49ers on September 4, 2015.

On July 24, 2016, Darnell Dockett announced he would retire from football. The next day, he signed a special one-day contract. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, just as he had hoped.

NFL Career Statistics

Key

• GP: games played
• COMB: combined tackles
• TOTAL: total tackles
• AST: assisted tackles
• SACK: sacks
• FF: forced fumbles
• FR: fumble recoveries
• FR YDS: fumble return yards
• INT: interceptions
• IR YDS: interception return yards
• AVG IR: average interception return
• LNG: longest interception return
• TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
• PD: passes deflected

Personal Life

Darnell Dockett faced tough times when he was young. His mother passed away tragically when he was thirteen years old. A few months later, his father also passed away from an illness. After these difficult events, Darnell was raised by his uncle, Kevin Dockett.