Derek Barnett facts for kids
Barnett with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019
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| No. 95 – Houston Texans | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | June 25, 1996 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 259 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: |
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| College: | Tennessee (2014–2016) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Derek Anthony Barnett (born June 25, 1996) is an American professional football player. He plays as a defensive end for the Houston Texans in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Derek Barnett grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He went to Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. During his senior year, he was a star player, making 60 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Experts saw him as a top recruit. In 2013, he decided to play college football for the University of Tennessee under coach Butch Jones.
College Football Career
Derek Barnett made a big impact in college. He played for the Tennessee Volunteers from 2014 to 2016.
2014 Season: A Strong Start
In 2014, Derek became the first freshman defensive lineman in Tennessee history to start the first game of the season. He quickly showed his skills. In a game against Ole Miss, he got two sacks and ten tackles. Later that season, he had a career-high three sacks against South Carolina.
He played in all 13 games and started 10. Derek set new records for true freshmen at Tennessee with 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. He even broke a record for most sacks by a freshman in the SEC (Southeastern Conference), which was previously held by Jadeveon Clowney. His strong play helped the Volunteers reach a bowl game for the first time in years.
2015 Season: Continued Success
Derek continued his impressive performance in 2015. In a tough game against the Oklahoma Sooners, he made 15 tackles and one sack. He also forced a fumble against Western Carolina. Later in the season, he had two sacks against Kentucky and two more against Vanderbilt. He finished the season with 10 sacks and helped Tennessee win the 2016 Outback Bowl.
2016 Season: Breaking Records
In his junior year, 2016, Derek kept getting better. He had two sacks in a big win against Florida, which was Tennessee's first victory over them since 2004. He also had two sacks and forced a crucial fumble against Georgia.
On December 30, 2016, Derek made history in the 2016 Music City Bowl. He broke the University of Tennessee's all-time career sack record, which was 32.0 sacks. The previous record holder was Reggie White, a Pro Football Hall of Famer. After this amazing season, Derek decided to skip his senior year and enter the 2017 NFL draft.
College Statistics
Here are Derek Barnett's college stats:
| Season | Team | GP | Defense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | FF | |||
| 2014 | Tennessee | 13 | 73 | 20.5 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Tennessee | 13 | 69 | 12.5 | 10.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | Tennessee | 13 | 56 | 19 | 13.0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 39 | 198 | 52 | 33.0 | 1 | 3 | |
Professional Football Career
Derek Barnett was a highly anticipated player for the NFL draft. Many experts thought he would be picked in the first round.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles chose Derek Barnett as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was the third defensive end chosen that year. On June 2, 2017, he signed a four-year contract with the Eagles.
2017 Season: Super Bowl Champion
Derek made his NFL debut in the Eagles' first game of the 2017 season. In Week 6, he got his first career sack against Cam Newton. He had two sacks in a game against the Redskins and another two-sack game against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 16, he scored his first career touchdown by recovering a fumble and running 23 yards.
He finished his rookie season with 21 tackles and five sacks. The Eagles had a great season, finishing with a 13–3 record. They made it to the playoffs. In the NFC Championship game, Derek had a key play, forcing a fumble from quarterback Case Keenum.
On February 4, 2018, Derek Barnett and the Eagles played in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. In a crucial moment late in the game, his teammate Brandon Graham sacked Tom Brady and forced a fumble. Derek recovered the ball, helping the Eagles secure a 41–33 victory. This was the Eagles' first Super Bowl win ever!
2018–2022 Seasons: Injuries and Contributions
In 2018, Derek played in seven games before a shoulder injury ended his season. He had 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
In 2019, he played in 14 games, recording 6.5 sacks and 30 tackles. The Eagles then extended his contract.
In 2020, Derek played in 13 games, getting 5.5 sacks and 34 tackles. He missed some time due to a hamstring and calf injury.
In 2021, he was a starting defensive end for the Eagles. He played in 16 games and recorded 46 tackles and two sacks.
In 2022, Derek signed a new two-year contract. However, in the very first game of the season, he suffered a torn ACL (a serious knee injury). This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Without him, the Eagles still reached Super Bowl LVII but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
2023 Season: Moving to Houston
In November 2023, Derek's playing time with the Eagles was reduced, and he was released.
Houston Texans
Soon after leaving the Eagles, Derek Barnett was picked up by the Houston Texans on November 27, 2023. He played in six games for the Texans that season, starting four of them. He recorded 2.5 sacks and defended one pass.
In the playoffs, Derek had a sack in the Wild Card Round victory over the Cleveland Browns. He re-signed with the Texans in April 2024.
On November 18, 2024, in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Derek made an amazing play. He sacked quarterback Cooper Rush and forced a fumble. After a teammate also touched the ball, Derek recovered it himself and ran 28 yards for a touchdown!
NFL Career Statistics
Here are Derek Barnett's NFL statistics:
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2017 | PHI | 15 | 0 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 1 |
| 2018 | PHI | 6 | 6 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | PHI | 13 | 10 | 34 | 21 | 13 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 15 | 46 | 20 | 26 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | PHI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | PHI | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HOU | 6 | 4 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | HOU | 16 | 1 | 26 | 15 | 11 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 64 | 2 |
| Career | 95 | 50 | 195 | 122 | 73 | 29.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 87 | 3 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2017 | PHI | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
| 2018 | PHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | PHI | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | HOU | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | HOU | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 8 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 | |
Honors and Awards
Derek Barnett has received many honors throughout his college and professional career:
College Honors
- 2014 — Grantland National Rookie of the Year
- 2014 — Freshman All-SEC Team
- 2015 — All-SEC Second-team
- 2015 — ProFootballFocus All-American
- 2016 — Sporting News All-American Second-team
- 2016 — Walter Camp First-team All-American
- 2016 — AP First-team All-American
- 2016 — FWAA Second-team All-American
- 2016 — CBS Sports First-team All-American
- 2016 — AFCA Second-team All-American
Professional Honors
- 2017 — NFL.com Preseason All-Rookie First-team
Awards and Records
- Most career sacks in Tennessee history (33)
