Thom Darden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thom Darden

Darden (No. 35) from 1972 Michiganensian
No. 27
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(1950-08-28) August 28, 1950 (age 74) Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	Sandusky (OH)
College:	Michigan
NFL Draft:	1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1972–1981)
Career highlights and awards
3× Second-team All-Pro (1976, 1978, 1979) Pro Bowl (1978) NFL interceptions leader (1978) First-team All-American (1971) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (1970, 1971)
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions: 45 INT yards: 820 Touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Thomas "Thom" Darden, born on August 28, 1950, is a former American football player. He played as a safety and punt returner for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). Thom is well-known for making exciting plays in big rivalry games. These include the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry and the Bengals–Browns rivalry.

During his nine seasons in the NFL, he was chosen as an All-Pro free safety three times. He also played in the Pro Bowl in 1978. Thom holds many interception records for the Cleveland Browns team. Before joining the NFL, he was an All-American defensive back for the Michigan Wolverines college team. He made one of the most famous interceptions in college football history. After retiring from football, Darden worked as a sports agent and a business consultant.

Early Life and Beginnings

Thom Darden was born in Sandusky, Ohio. He grew up there and went to Sandusky High School.

College Football Career

After high school, six different football teams from the Big Ten Conference wanted Thom to play for them in 1968. He chose to play for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971. During his time there, he made 218 tackles and 11 interceptions.

In 1971, he was named an All-American, which means he was one of the best college players in the country. He was also named All-Big Ten in 1970. Thom helped his team win the Big Ten championship in both 1969 and 1971. He was a favorite player of Coach Bo Schembechler. Darden is still one of the top players at Michigan for punt returns and punt return yards. He played all defensive back positions for Michigan.

A Memorable Interception

ESPN picked Darden's interception against Ohio State on November 21, 1971, as one of the top 100 plays in college football history. This play happened late in a close game, which Michigan won 10-7. Ohio State's coach, Woody Hayes, was very upset about the referee's call. He thought it should have been a pass interference penalty against Michigan. Coach Hayes got so angry that he broke a yard marker and earned two penalties. This moment was shown many times on TV. That was Darden's second interception in that game. ESPN also named Darden to their All-Time University of Michigan Football team.

Professional Football Career

The Cleveland Browns picked Thom Darden in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft. He was the 18th player chosen overall. Darden started as a strong safety in his first year, 1972. He then played free safety for the rest of his career. He retired after his tenth season in 1981.

Darden was chosen as an All-Pro safety in 1976, 1978, and 1979. He also played in the Pro Bowl in 1978.

Rivalry Game Moments

In 1980, when the Browns played the Cincinnati Bengals, Darden made a very hard tackle on Pat McInally. McInally was unconscious for about 10 minutes but came back to score a touchdown later in the game. The NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, fined Darden $1000 for the hit. This play and McInally's quick return are a famous part of the rivalry between the two Ohio teams.

Browns Records and Playoffs

During his career, Thom Darden returned 45 punts for 285 yards. He holds several Cleveland Browns team records. These include 45 career interceptions, 10 interceptions in a single season, and 820 interception return yards.

Darden played on two Browns teams that made it to the playoffs.

• In 1972, his rookie year, the Browns had a 10-4 record. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Miami Dolphins.
• In 1980, the Browns had an 11-5 record. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Oakland Raiders.

Thom Darden was ranked 47th on the list of the Cleveland Browns' top 100 players.

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Thom Darden became a professional sports agent. He helped many NFL and NBA players. He also owned a security company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As of 2006, Darden was working as a business consultant in Cedar Rapids.