Derrick Gardner (American football) facts for kids
| No. 30, 31 | |
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| Position: | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 10, 1977 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Oakland (CA) Skyline |
| College: | California |
| Undrafted: | 1999 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Derrick A. Gardner (born March 10, 1977) is an American former professional football player. He was a defensive back, which means he played defense and helped stop the other team from scoring. Derrick played for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL). He also played college football at the University of California, Berkeley. Besides the NFL, he played for teams like the Rhein Fire, San Francisco Demons, and Los Angeles Avengers.
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Derrick Gardner's Early Life
Derrick Gardner played high school football for the Skyline High School Titans. In 1995, he was named "player of the game" in a big California-Texas all-star game. He helped his team win by catching an opponent's pass (an interception) and running it 46 yards for a touchdown! In his senior year, he was named an all-state player. He made five interceptions that year.
College Football Career
Derrick played for the California Golden Bears from 1995 to 1998. He was a strong player on defense. In his junior year, he led his team in interceptions with two. He started in his last 31 games for the Golden Bears. Derrick even started a game as a freshman in 1995 against the Stanford Cardinal. He once scored a 72-yard touchdown after picking up a fumbled ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils. During his college career, he made a total of 160 tackles.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Derrick Gardner signed with the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL) in 1999. He played in seven games for the Falcons during the 1999 season. He joined the main team in October after being on the practice squad.
In 2000, Derrick played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. He helped his team win the World Bowl 2000, which is like a championship game for that league. In 2001, he played for the San Francisco Demons in the XFL. He also played for the Rhein Fire again in the 2001 season.
Later, on July 5, 2002, Derrick joined the practice squad for the Los Angeles Avengers in the Arena Football League. He was moved to the main team on July 17, 2002. He played for the Avengers until November 17, 2003.
Coaching and Beyond
After his playing career, Derrick Gardner started coaching. In 2005, he became an assistant coach for the defensive backs at his old high school, Skyline High School. He left that job in 2008.
In 2009, Derrick became the Director of Football Operations for the East West Shrine Game. This is a special game where college players show off their skills for professional teams. In 2010, he worked as a Pro Scouting Intern for the Seattle Seahawks. This means he helped find new players for the team.
In 2011, Derrick returned to his college, the University of California, Berkeley. He worked there as a Strength Training Program Leader. Since 2012, Derrick has been an Assistant Secondary Coach and then a Cornerbacks Coach at Laney College. He works under Head Coach John Beam. Derrick's coaching role at Laney College was even shown in season 5 of a TV show called Last Chance U on Netflix.
