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 Vincent Darden, born on August 28, 1950, is a former American professional football player. He was a talented safety and punt returner for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). Thom Darden is remembered for making big plays in important games, especially in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry and the Bengals–Browns rivalry.

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

Early Life and High School Years

Thom Darden was born in Sandusky, Ohio. He attended and graduated from Sandusky High School.

College Football Career

After high school, Darden was a highly sought-after player. Six different football programs from the Big Ten Conference tried to recruit him in 1968. He chose to play for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971. During his time there, he made 218 tackles and had 11 interceptions.

He was named an All-American in 1971, which means he was considered one of the best college football players in the country. He was also named All-Big Ten in 1970, recognizing him as one of the top players in his conference. Darden helped the Michigan Wolverines win Big Ten championships in both 1969 and 1971. He was a favorite player of Coach Bo Schembechler and was even mentioned in Coach Schembechler's 2006 book. Darden is still among the top players at Michigan for punt returns and punt return yardage. He played all defensive back positions while at Michigan.

Famous Interception Against Ohio State

ESPN highlighted Darden's interception on November 21, 1971, in the big rivalry game against Ohio State. They chose it as one of the "100 Plays, performances and moments that define college football." This play was very controversial late in the game, which Michigan won 10–7. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes was very upset with the referee's call, believing it should have been a pass interference penalty against Michigan. The scene of Coach Hayes arguing with the referee was shown many times on national television. This was Darden's second interception in that game. ESPN also included Darden on their All-Time University of Michigan Football team.

Professional Football Career

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

Darden was recognized as an All-Pro safety in 1976, 1978, and 1979. He also played in the Pro Bowl in 1978, which is a special game for the best players in the NFL.

Key Moments and Records

In a game against the 1980 Bengals, Darden made a very hard tackle on Pat McInally. McInally was unconscious for about 10 minutes but bravely returned to the game later to score a touchdown. The NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, fined Darden $1000 for the hit, calling it "unnecessarily rough." This play and McInally's quick return became a memorable part of the rivalry between the two Ohio teams.

Throughout his career, Darden returned 45 punts for a total of 285 yards. He holds several Cleveland Browns team records, including 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 his rookie year, the 1972 Browns went to the 1972-73 NFL playoffs but lost to the Miami Dolphins. The 1980 Browns also made it to the 1980-81 NFL playoffs but lost to the Oakland Raiders.

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

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Thom Darden became a professional sports agent. He represented several NFL and National Basketball Association players, including Tony Boles, Felix Wright, and Chris Calloway. He also supported Maurice Clarett's efforts to challenge the NFL Draft's rules about player eligibility.

In 1998, when the NFL brought a new team back to Cleveland, Darden was part of one of the groups that tried to buy the team. In 1999, he owned a security company. As of 2006, Darden was working as a business consultant.