Darren McFadden facts for kids
McFadden with the Cowboys in 2015
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 27, 1987 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Oak Grove (North Little Rock, Arkansas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Arkansas (2005–2007) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former professional football player. He was a talented running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
McFadden was chosen by the Oakland Raiders as the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys. During his college career at Arkansas, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy twice. He was also named an All-American. In 2019, he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Darren McFadden was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on August 27, 1987. He went to Oak Grove High School. There, he was a star in three sports: football, baseball, and track.
In football, he mainly played as a running back on offense. He also played as a safety on defense. As a sprinter in track & field, he ran the 100-meter dash in 10.8 seconds. In his senior year (2004), Parade magazine named him a high school All-American. He also won the Landers Award, given to the best player in Arkansas.
McFadden was a top recruit for college football. He chose to attend the University of Arkansas.
College Football Career
McFadden received a scholarship to play for the University of Arkansas. He was a star running back for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 2005 to 2007.
Freshman Season (2005)
McFadden had a great start to his college career. In his first game, he rushed for 70 yards and scored a touchdown. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns.
He finished his freshman year with 1,113 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. This was the most yards ever gained by a freshman running back at Arkansas. He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year. He also earned Freshman All-American honors.
Sophomore Season (2006)
In 2006, McFadden set a new school record. He rushed for 1,647 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He also threw three touchdown passes. He became a first-team All-American.
Arkansas won ten games and the SEC Western Division Championship. McFadden was one of three finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He finished second in the voting. He became the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award. This award goes to the nation's best running back. He also won the Jim Brown Trophy.
McFadden was key to Arkansas's "Wildhog formation." In this special offense, he often played quarterback. This allowed him to run, pass, or hand off the ball.
Junior Season (2007)
Before the 2007 season, many thought McFadden would be a top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was a favorite for several awards. He started the season strong, with five games of at least 120 rushing yards.
On November 3, 2007, McFadden tied an SEC record. He rushed for 321 yards against South Carolina. On November 23, he led Arkansas to a big win. They beat the number one ranked LSU Tigers in triple overtime. McFadden rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
After the season, McFadden decided to enter the NFL Draft. He chose to skip his senior year.
McFadden had an amazing 2007 season. He was named the Sporting News National Player of the Year. He was a First-team All-American for the second year in a row. He won the Doak Walker Award again, becoming only the second player to win it twice. He also won the Walter Camp Award, given to the nation's best overall player.
He finished his junior season with 1,829 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy for the second year in a row. This made him the first player since 1949 to finish second in Heisman voting in two straight years.
McFadden ended his college career as the most decorated player in Arkansas history. He holds many of the university's rushing records. His 4,590 career rushing yards rank third all-time in the SEC. Many consider him the best football player in Arkansas Razorbacks history.
College Career Statistics
| Season | GP | Rushing | Receiving | Kick return | Passing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | ||
| 2005 | 11 | 176 | 1,113 | 6.3 | 70 | 11 | 14 | 52 | 3.7 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 348 | 29.0 | 81 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 13 | 6.5 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 14 | 284 | 1,647 | 5.8 | 80 | 14 | 11 | 149 | 13.5 | 70 | 1 | 10 | 262 | 26.2 | 92 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 77.8 | 69 | 7.7 | 28 | 3 | 1 |
| 2007 | 13 | 325 | 1,830 | 5.6 | 80 | 16 | 21 | 164 | 7.8 | 57 | 1 | 16 | 316 | 19.8 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 54.5 | 123 | 11.2 | 42 | 4 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 785 | 4,590 | 5.8 | 80 | 41 | 46 | 365 | 7.9 | 70 | 2 | 38 | 926 | 24.4 | 92 | 1 | 14 | 22 | 63.6 | 205 | 9.3 | 42 | 7 | 1 |
Professional Football Career
NFL Draft (2008)
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, McFadden ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds. This was one of the fastest times for a running back.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) |
211 lb (96 kg) |
4.33 s | 1.50 s | 2.53 s | 4.10 s | 6.86 s | 35+1⁄2 in (0.90 m) |
10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) |
13 reps | 17 | ||
| All values from NFL Combine except 20ss, 3-cone, and vertical leap from Arkansas Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Oakland Raiders (2008–2014)
2008 Season
The Oakland Raiders drafted McFadden as the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He signed a six-year contract with the team.
McFadden made his NFL debut on September 8 against the Denver Broncos. He rushed for 46 yards. In his second NFL game, he scored his first professional touchdown. He gained 164 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his first season with 499 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
2009 Season
In 2009, McFadden faced several injuries. He had fewer carries and rushing yards than in his rookie year. He finished the season with 357 rushing yards and one touchdown.
2010 Season
The 2010 season was a strong one for McFadden. In Week 2, he rushed for 145 yards against the St. Louis Rams. In Week 3, he had 105 rushing yards and a touchdown.
On October 24, he had an amazing game against the Denver Broncos. He rushed for 165 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught a pass for another touchdown. This made him one of only four Raiders players to score four touchdowns in a single game. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
McFadden finished the 2010 season with career highs. He had 1,157 rushing yards and 506 receiving yards. He scored 10 total touchdowns (7 rushing, 3 receiving). He was ranked among the top NFL running backs.
2011 Season
McFadden started the 2011 season strong. In Week 1, he rushed for 150 yards against the Denver Broncos. This was a record for a Raiders running back in a season opener. In Week 3, he set a new career high with 171 rushing yards against the New York Jets. He scored two rushing touchdowns in that game.
By Week 6, McFadden was leading the league in rushing with 610 yards. However, he suffered a foot injury in Week 7. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season.
2012 Season
McFadden returned for the 2012 season. He finished with 707 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. He still led the Raiders in rushing yards. He had three games where he rushed for over 100 yards.
2013 Season
In Week 2 of the 2013 season, McFadden rushed for 129 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in 10 games this season. He had 379 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
2014 Season
The Raiders re-signed McFadden on March 11, 2014. The 2014 season was the first time McFadden played all 16 games. He finished the year with 534 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His number of carries decreased as another running back, Latavius Murray, began to play more.
Dallas Cowboys (2015–2017)
2015 Season
On March 13, 2015, McFadden signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. He joined the team to help replace DeMarco Murray.
After starting as a backup, McFadden became the main running back in Week 7. He rushed for a season-high 152 yards against the New York Giants. This was his first 100-yard game since 2013.
He finished the season with 1,089 rushing yards, which was fourth-best in the NFL. He played in all 16 games for the second time in his career. He had five games with over 100 rushing yards. McFadden became the first former Arkansas Razorback running back to have two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in the NFL.
2016 Season
McFadden competed for the starting role in 2016. However, he broke his right elbow in an accident at home. This injury kept him out for most of the season. He was activated to the team roster in December.
He played in three games and had 87 rushing yards. He was seen as a complete player because of his blocking and receiving skills.
2017 Season
McFadden signed a one-year contract extension with the Cowboys on March 16, 2017. However, he was often not active for games. On November 26, McFadden asked to be released from the team.
Retirement
On November 28, 2017, just two days after his release, Darren McFadden announced his retirement from football. He played 10 seasons in the NFL.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2008 | OAK | 13 | 5 | 113 | 499 | 4.4 | 50 | 4 | 29 | 285 | 9.8 | 27 | 0 |
| 2009 | OAK | 12 | 7 | 104 | 357 | 3.4 | 28 | 1 | 21 | 245 | 11.7 | 48 | 0 |
| 2010 | OAK | 13 | 13 | 223 | 1,157 | 5.2 | 57 | 7 | 47 | 507 | 10.8 | 67 | 3 |
| 2011 | OAK | 7 | 7 | 113 | 614 | 5.4 | 70 | 4 | 19 | 154 | 8.1 | 26 | 1 |
| 2012 | OAK | 12 | 12 | 216 | 707 | 3.3 | 64 | 2 | 42 | 258 | 6.1 | 20 | 1 |
| 2013 | OAK | 10 | 7 | 114 | 379 | 3.3 | 30 | 5 | 17 | 108 | 6.4 | 16 | 0 |
| 2014 | OAK | 16 | 12 | 155 | 534 | 3.4 | 25 | 2 | 36 | 212 | 5.9 | 23 | 0 |
| 2015 | DAL | 16 | 10 | 239 | 1,089 | 4.6 | 50 | 3 | 40 | 328 | 8.2 | 21 | 0 |
| 2016 | DAL | 3 | 1 | 24 | 87 | 3.6 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 11 | 0 |
| 2017 | DAL | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | −2.0 | −2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 103 | 74 | 1,302 | 5,421 | 4.2 | 70 | 28 | 254 | 2,114 | 8.3 | 67 | 5 | |
Personal Life
Darren McFadden is married and has five children. He enjoys rabbit hunting.
See also
In Spanish: Darren McFadden para niños
