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 | ||||||||||||
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| 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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Reuben Droughns (born August 21, 1978) is a former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for the Oregon Ducks, he was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the 2000 NFL draft. Droughns played for nine years in the NFL. He was also a member of 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 his playing career, Droughns became an assistant coach. He coached for the Serbian team Vukovi Beograd from 2010 to 2013. This team had won the Central European Football League (CEFL) twice.
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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 talented athlete in both football and wrestling.
In high school football, he scored 49 touchdowns. He also ran for 4,915 yards. This was the second-highest rushing yardage in Orange County high school history at that time. He was named All-Orange County and All-CIF twice. He also earned All-Orange League honors three times. As a senior, he was named Back of the Year. Droughns was also a great wrestler. He won the CIF-Southern Section title in 1996 during his senior year.
Playing Football in College
Droughns played college football at the University of Oregon in 1998 and 1999. He was a starter for two years. In his first game for the Ducks, he ran for 202 yards. He scored two touchdowns in a big win against Michigan State.
Even with an ankle injury, he had amazing games. He ran for 214 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford. He also gained 217 yards and three scores against Washington State. One of his best games was against UCLA. He ran for 172 yards and a touchdown. This was even though he broke his right fibula late in the game. This injury made him miss the rest of that season. Despite the injury, he was still named second-team All-Pac-10. As a senior, Droughns ran for 1,234 yards and nine touchdowns. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pac-10 player. He studied history at Oregon.
Before Oregon, he played at Merced Junior College. In 1997, he was a first-team JUCO All-America player. He led the nation in rushing yards with 1,611. He also scored 13 touchdowns. He led California in all-purpose yards with 1,984. This was even though he missed three games with a broken hand.
Professional Football Career
Detroit Lions Years (2000-2001)
The Detroit Lions picked Droughns in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. In 2000, he hurt his right shoulder in a preseason game. This injury kept him out for the whole season.
In 2001, he played in nine games for the Lions. He started three of those games. He rushed for 72 yards and caught a touchdown pass. He was briefly with the Miami Dolphins' practice squad before rejoining the Lions.
Denver Broncos Years (2002-2004)
Droughns played for the Denver Broncos for three seasons. He was with them from 2002 to 2004. He was first meant to be a fullback. But he became the Broncos' main running back in 2004. He started 15 out of 16 games that year. He rushed for 1,240 yards and scored six touchdowns. He also tied a team record by returning six kickoffs in a playoff game. Even with his good performance, he was not sure he would be the starter for the next season. So, he asked to be traded to another team.
Cleveland Browns Years (2005-2006)
On March 30, 2005, Droughns was traded to the Cleveland Browns. In 2005, he ran for 1,232 yards and two touchdowns. He was the first Browns player to gain over 1,000 rushing yards in a season since 1985. The next season, in 2006, Droughns rushed for 758 yards and four touchdowns.
New York Giants Years (2007-2008)
On March 9, 2007, Droughns was traded to the New York Giants. He played behind the main running back, Brandon Jacobs. Droughns became the third running back for the Giants. He was part of a group that replaced the retired Tiki Barber.
Even though he only started one game, Droughns was the Giants' third-best rusher in 2007. He gained 275 yards on 85 carries. He was often used near the goal line or on third downs. He scored a team-leading six rushing touchdowns that season. His final NFL touchdown was a 2-yard run. This score helped the Giants win a critical game against the Chicago Bears 21-16. This win was important for the Giants to reach the playoffs.
During the playoffs, Droughns mainly played on special teams. He was part of all four of New York's playoff wins. This included the Giants' 17-14 upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He was on the field for the very last play of that Super Bowl.
In 2008, other players moved ahead of Droughns on the Giants' depth chart. But he still made the team's final roster. He played mostly on special teams in 12 games. The Giants released Droughns on February 9, 2009.
