Reuben Droughns facts for kids
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Droughns in 2021
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| No. 21, 34, 22 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 21, 1978 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Anaheim (Anaheim, California) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Oregon | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2000 / Round: 3 / Pick: 81 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Reuben Droughns (born August 21, 1978) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Reuben played college football for the Oregon Ducks.
He was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the 2000 NFL draft. During his nine years as a professional player, Droughns also played for the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. They beat the New England Patriots in that game.
After he stopped playing, Droughns worked as an assistant coach. He coached the Serbian team Vukovi Beograd from 2010 to 2013. This team had won the Central European Football League (CEFL) twice.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Reuben Droughns was born in Chicago. He later moved to Orange County, California. There, he went to Anaheim High School in Anaheim, California. He was a student and also played football and wrestled. He earned a "letterman" award, which means he was a top athlete in his sports.
In high school football, Reuben scored 49 touchdowns. He ran for 4,915 yards. This was the second-highest amount of yards gained in Orange County high school football history at that time. He was chosen as All-Orange County and All-CIF twice. He was also All-Orange League three times. In his senior year, he was named Back of the Year.
Reuben was also a very good wrestler. He won the CIF-Southern Section title in 1996. This was in Division I for the 189-pound weight class during his senior year.
College Football Journey
Reuben Droughns played college football at the University of Oregon in 1998 and 1999. He was a starting player for two years. In his very first game for the Ducks, he ran for 202 yards and scored two touchdowns. This helped his team win 48–14 against Michigan State.
Even though he missed some games because of an ankle injury, he had amazing performances. He ran for 214 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford. He also ran for 217 yards and three scores against Washington State. One of his best games was against UCLA. He ran for 172 yards and a touchdown. However, he broke a bone in his lower leg (fibula) during that game. This injury made him miss the rest of the season.
Despite his injury, Reuben was still named second-team All-Pac-10 for his junior year. As a senior, he ran for 1,234 yards and nine touchdowns. He had three games where he ran for over 200 yards. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pac-10 player in his senior year. Reuben studied history at Oregon.
Before Oregon, he played at Merced Junior College. In 1997, he was a first-team JUCO All-America player. This means he was one of the best junior college players in the country. He led the nation with 1,611 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He also led California in total yards gained (1,984), even though he missed three games due to a broken hand. A magazine called Prep Star said he was the best junior college running back in the nation. As a freshman, he was also an honorable mention All-American. He led his team with 1,456 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns that year.
Professional Football Career
Reuben Droughns played for several teams in the NFL. He showed his skills as a strong running back throughout his career.
Detroit Lions Years
Reuben Droughns was picked by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was the 81st player chosen overall.
Starting with the Lions
In the 2000 season, Droughns was placed on injured reserve. This happened after he hurt his right shoulder in his first game. He was injured on August 4 during a preseason game against the New England Patriots.
Playing in 2001
During the 2001 season, Reuben played in nine games for the Lions. He started three of those games. He ran for 72 yards and caught four passes for 21 yards, scoring one touchdown. The Lions let him go after Week 1. He then joined the Miami Dolphins' practice squad. But the Lions re-signed him on October 9.
Time with the Denver Broncos
Reuben Droughns played for the Denver Broncos for three seasons, from 2002 to 2004.
Becoming a Starter
He was first meant to be a fullback. But in the 2004 season, he became the Broncos' main running back. He started 15 out of 16 games that year. He ran for 1,240 yards and scored six touchdowns. He also tied a team record in a playoff game. He returned six kickoffs in a loss to Indianapolis on January 4, 2004. Even with these good results, he wasn't sure if he would be the starter for the next season. So, he asked to be traded to another team.
Playing for the Cleveland Browns
Reuben Droughns was traded to the Cleveland Browns on March 30, 2005. The Browns gave up two defensive linemen, Ebenezer Ekuban and Michael Myers, to get him.
Success in Cleveland
In the 2005 season, he ran for 1,232 yards and two touchdowns. He was the first Browns player to run for over 1,000 yards in a season since 1985. The next season, in 2006, Droughns ran for 758 yards and four touchdowns.
Winning a Super Bowl with the New York Giants
On March 9, 2007, Droughns was traded to the New York Giants. The Giants traded wide receiver Tim Carter to get him.
Role with the Giants
Reuben played behind the main running back, Brandon Jacobs. He competed with Derrick Ward for the backup spot. He became the third running back for the Giants. This group of running backs replaced Tiki Barber, who had retired. However, his performance during the year led him to be the fourth running back. He was behind rookie Ahmad Bradshaw. He was also replaced as the kick returner.
Even though he only started one game that season, Droughns was the Giants' third-leading rusher. He ran for 275 yards on 85 carries. He also caught seven passes for 49 yards. He was mainly used for short-yardage plays and near the goal line. He led the team with six rushing touchdowns that season. His final NFL touchdown was a 2-yard run. It gave the Giants a 21-16 win against the Chicago Bears. This win was very important for the Giants to reach the playoffs.
Super Bowl XLII Champion
During the playoffs, Droughns mostly played on special teams. He was part of all four of New York's playoff wins. This included the Giants' big 17-14 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He was on the field for the very last play of that game.
In the 2008 preseason, another player, D.J. Ware, played very well. This pushed Droughns down to fifth on the Giants' running back list. But he still made the final team roster. He played mostly on special teams in 12 of the Giants' 16 games. The Giants released Droughns on February 9, 2009.
Images for kids
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Reuben Droughns in 2021
