Marcell Dareus facts for kids
Dareus with the Buffalo Bills in 2014
|
|||||||||||
| No. 99 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | March 13, 1990 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 331 lb (150 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Huffman (Birmingham, Alabama) |
||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2008–2010) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Marcell Dareus (born March 13, 1990) is an American former professional football player. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Dareus played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was named the defensive MVP of the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. The Buffalo Bills selected Dareus third overall in the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Marcell Dareus grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He went to Huffman High School. While there, he was a talented athlete. He played football, basketball, and also competed in track and field. In track, he was a shot putter.
Football Achievements in High School
As a football player, Dareus was a strong defensive lineman. He was recognized as an ASWA All-State honorable mention. In his senior year, he made 117 tackles and 20 sacks. He even scored a touchdown by returning a fumble. He was considered a top recruit by Scout.com. Dareus chose to play college football at Alabama. He had offers from other big schools like Auburn and Tennessee.
College Football Career at Alabama
Dareus started his college career at the University of Alabama. He quickly became an important player for the team.
Freshman and Sophomore Seasons
In his first year (2008), Dareus played in eight games. He helped the Crimson Tide win their first game against the Clemson Tigers. He made four tackles and pressured the quarterback three times. As a sophomore in 2009, Dareus played in 14 games. He was a key defensive end and one of Alabama's best at rushing the passer. He had 33 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Winning the National Championship
Dareus had an amazing performance in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. He helped Alabama win the national title. He even scored a touchdown by returning an interception 28 yards. Because of his great play, he was named the defensive MVP of the championship game.
Junior Year and NFL Draft
In 2010, Dareus faced a temporary suspension for the first two games of the season due to college rules. After returning, he continued to play well. He finished the season with 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks. After Alabama's win in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, Dareus decided to enter the 2011 NFL draft. He was expected to be a top pick.
College Statistics Overview
| Season | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Yds | Sck | Yds | Int | Yds | BU | PD | QBH | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2009 | 14 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 9.0 | 49 | 6.5 | 44 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2010 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 34 | 11.0 | 41 | 4.5 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Career | 33 | 15 | 40 | 31 | 71 | 20.0 | 90 | 11.0 | 70 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
Professional Football Career
Marcell Dareus was a highly anticipated player in the NFL Draft. He went on to play for two teams during his professional career.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄8 in (1.91 m) |
319 lb (145 kg) |
33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.93 s | 1.68 s | 2.83 s | 4.62 s | 7.83 s | 27 in (0.69 m) |
8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) |
24 reps | x |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Time with the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills chose Dareus as the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. This made him one of the highest-drafted defensive players from Alabama in many years. He signed a four-year contract with the Bills. In his first season (2011), Dareus started all sixteen games. He recorded 5.5 sacks, which was the most for a Bills rookie since Aaron Schobel.
In 2012, Dareus was excused from the team due to a family tragedy. He still finished the season with 5.5 sacks and 39 tackles. In 2013, Dareus was selected for his first Pro Bowl. He had 7.5 sacks and a career-high 46 tackles that season. His fellow players ranked him among the top 100 players in the NFL.
Dareus continued his strong performance in the 2014 season. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for one game. He recorded 10.0 sacks, which was the most among all defensive tackles that season. He earned another Pro Bowl appearance and was named to the All-Pro first-team. In 2015, the Bills signed Dareus to a large contract extension. He finished the 2015 season with two sacks and 51 tackles. In 2016, he played in eight games, recording 3.5 sacks and 39 tackles.
Moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars
On October 27, 2017, Dareus was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was reunited with his former coach, Doug Marrone. In the 2017 season, he played in 14 games, combining his time with both the Bills and Jaguars. He had 28 tackles. In the playoffs, he helped the Jaguars win against the Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They eventually lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.
In the 2018 season, Dareus started 15 games for the Jaguars. He recorded 32 tackles and one sack. He also made a safety against the New York Jets. In October 2019, Dareus was placed on injured reserve after having surgery. In February 2020, the Jaguars decided not to keep Dareus, making him a free agent.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | |||
| 2011 | BUF | 16 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 | BUF | 16 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2013 | BUF | 16 | 71 | 46 | 25 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | BUF | 15 | 48 | 35 | 13 | 10.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | BUF | 15 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | BUF | 8 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | BUF | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | JAX | 9 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | JAX | 15 | 32 | 23 | 9 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | JAX | 6 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 121 | 365 | 255 | 110 | 37.5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 15 | |
Personal Life
Marcell Dareus's father is from Haiti. In 2023, Dareus appeared on the TLC network's Dr. Pimple Popper TV show. He had a small, harmless lump removed from his left eyebrow area.
