Durwood Roquemore facts for kids

Durwood Clinton Roquemore was born on January 19, 1960. He is a former American football player. He was a talented cornerback, which is a defensive player in football. He played professionally in several leagues. These included the National Football League (NFL) and the Arena Football League (AFL).

Growing Up in Dallas

Durwood Roquemore was born in Dallas, Texas. This was on January 19, 1960. He went to South Oak Cliff High School. There, he was a great athlete! He played baseball, basketball, and football. He was even chosen for special "All District" and "All Metro" teams. This means he was one of the best players in his area.

College Football Star

Roquemore played college football at Texas A&I. He was a starter for three years for the Javelinas team. In 1979, his team won the NAIA national championship. This was his first year as a starter.

He was a fantastic player. In his junior year, he caught 10 interceptions. This was a school record! It was also the second-highest in the whole nation. During his college career, he caught 22 interceptions. This tied the school's all-time record. He was named a first-team college All-American in both his junior and senior years.

Professional Football Career

Durwood Roquemore played in three different professional football leagues. He was known for his skills as a defensive player.

NFL Beginnings

The Kansas City Chiefs picked Roquemore in the 1982 NFL draft. He played two seasons for the Chiefs. He was a defensive back and returned kickoffs. He played in 24 games and started 3 times. He made five interceptions. He returned one of these for a touchdown.

In 1985, Roquemore played for the Houston Gamblers. This team was in the United States Football League (USFL). He played in 18 games. He caught 7 interceptions for the Gamblers.

Arena Football League Success

After a year off, Roquemore joined the Arena Football League (AFL). He played for the Chicago Bruisers in 1987. He made 35 tackles and two interceptions that season.

In the fall of 1987, he also played for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. This was during a player's strike. He played in 5 games and started 2.

Roquemore went back to the Chicago Bruisers in 1988. He had an amazing season! He led the league with 11 interceptions. This set a new AFL record for most interceptions in a single season. In one game, he even caught three interceptions. This also set an AFL record.

In 1990, Roquemore played for the Albany Firebirds in the AFL. He recorded 30 tackles and seven interceptions.

Orlando Predators Years

From 1991 to 1996, Roquemore played for the Orlando Predators. This was for six seasons. During this time, he made 290 tackles. He also had 30 interceptions. He caught 24 interceptions between 1992 and 1994. In 1994, he led the league with 8 interceptions.

When he retired, he had many achievements. He was chosen for the All-Arena Football League first-team five times. He also played in four Arena Bowls. He was the league leader in career interceptions, tackles, assists, and passes defended.

After Playing Football

After his playing career, Roquemore became a coach. He was a defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds in 1997. He also coached for the Houston Thunderbirds. Later, he became the head coach for the Richmond Speed.

Durwood Roquemore has been honored for his amazing career. In 1996, he was chosen for the Arena Football League's Tenth Anniversary Team. In 1999, he was inducted into the Arena Football League Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was also inducted into the Texas A&I's Hall of Fame. He later worked as an athletic director and coach at a high school. He then coached at Fort Valley State University.