Darren McFadden

At 36 years old, Darren McFadden has this physical status:

Darren McFadden, who was born on August 27, 1987, is a former American football coach.

He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was drafted fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft.

He also played for the Dallas Cowboys.

Early life

McFadden was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on August 27, 1987, to Gralon McFadden and Mini Muhammad. He faced difficulties in his early life with some members of his family, including his mother, who were addicted to opioids, as the tenth of twelve children.

He attended Oak Grove High School in North Little Rock, where he was a three-sport star in football, baseball, and track. He served in a variety of positions for his football team, but primarily as a running back on offense and a safety on defense. He competed as a sprinter and was timed in the 100-meter dash in track & field, and was timed at 10.8 seconds. McFadden, a 2004 graduate of the Arkansas High School All-American, as well as a 2004 high school graduate of the Arkansas High School student of the year for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, was a Parade magazine high school All-American. Following his senior year, he was given the prestigious Landers Award, which is given every year to the state's top player. McFadden was ranked No. 23 in the United States by Rivals.com and the number three celebrity, and the highest celebrity rating. He was a highly recruited student, and although he attracted attention from many universities around the Deep South, including Tennessee, Alabama, and Auburn, he decided to end the recruiting process early and enroll the University of Arkansas.

Personal life

McFadden filed a $15 million lawsuit in the Eastern District of Arkansas against his long-time business manager Michael Vick (no resemblance to former NFL player of the same name) in June 2016. McFadden alleged that Vick defrauded him and misappropriated funds, including $3 million lost in a bitcoin-related company venture.

McFadden has five children with three different women as of 2020. He is now married.

McFadden is a voracious rabbit hunter.

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College career

McFadden received a fellowship to attend the University of Arkansas, where he was a standout running back for coach Houston Nutt's Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 2005 to 2007.

McFadden rushed for 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns on 176 attempts in 2005, his first season. He was instrumental in an Arkansas offense that ended up going 4-7 against Georgia and LSU, which was close to being in a close loss. McFadden's best result came in five games, with his highest effort coming in a 31-carry, 190-yard game against Georgia. McFadden converted Georgia into a 187-yard game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, who lost Georgia. McFadden completed his first pass in a Razorback uniform against LSU as he completed a pass to Marcus Monk for thirteen yards on a critical fourth quarter drive.

McFadden finished the season with the most yards a freshman running back had ever gained in an Arkansas uniform, and he was the eighth Southeastern Conference player to rush over 1,000 yards as a freshman. Both the SEC Media and SEC coaches lauded him at the end of the year as Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year. By ESPN, McFadden also received Freshman All-American nominations, and was named Newcomer of the Year for the Southeast Conference. He maintained his academic success through spring practice, ranking him as the number one running back on the Razorback depth chart early next year, a position he never relinquished while on campus.

Despite a slow start to the season due to a missing touchdown at a night club in Little Rock, McFadden, threw for three more touchdowns on just nine passing attempts, becoming a first-team All-American. In a 219-yard victory over South Carolina, McFadden set a new career high for yards in a single game. Arkansas won ten games and the SEC Western Division Championship, thanks to his efforts, but they lost to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2007 and finished with a record of 10 victories and 4 losses.

McFadden, a student at Ohio State, and Brady Quinn from Notre Dame were among three finalists for the Heisman Trophy on December 6, 2006. McFadden finished second with 1,662 points, behind Smith (1750 points) and ahead of Quinn (1622 points), in what is considered by many pundits to be one of the largest Heisman snubs in history. McFadden was the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the country's top runners. In 2006, he was also the winner of the Jim Brown Trophy. He was also a consensus All-America pick, making the overwhelming majority of teams select him.

In 2006, McFadden surpassed Madre Hill as the most rushing yards in a season at the University of Arkansas. In addition, he was a central figure in the "Wildhog pack," an offensive formation in which McFadden commonly lined up at quarterback position. McFadden used to play quarterback in high school, but in the Wildcats, he was a threat to throw the ball, to run the ball, or to hand over the ball to another player.

McFadden was considered one of the top NFL draft picks after the 2007 season if he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. A photo gallery chronicling the top candidates in the 2008 draft was tipped as the top pick by Sports Illustrated's website. McFadden was also expected to be a front-runner for several awards, including the Doak Walker, the Maxwell, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.

McFadden played in five straight games in which he gained at least 120 yards. Highlights include a 195-yard win over Alabama, a 151-yard game against Troy, and a 173-yard effort against Kentucky. McFadden seemed to be a lock for the Heisman trophy after this stretch of games, taking first place on almost every watch list. McFadden beat the Air Force Falcons by 321 yards against the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 3, 2007, tying a record held by former Vanderbilt Commodore Frank Mordica's 1978 game total against the Air Force Falcons. Arkansas defeated the number one-ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 548-50 on Friday, winning the Battle for the Golden Boot for Arkansas. McFadden ran 32 times for 206 yards and three TDs, and he had three of six pass attempts for 34 yards and a touchdown. McFadden, who lost 38-7 to Missouri in the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas, decided against returning to school and declare for the 2008 NFL Draft on January 14, 2008.

McFadden's 2007 season was a success: the sport News magazine's Best Of the Year Award, which was given to the nation's best overall player and voted on by the Walter Camp Foundation, was a win for two years in a row. He finished his junior season with 1,829 yards on 325 plays and 16 running touchdowns. He also threw four touchdown passes and gained another touchdown reception. McFadden was named the recipient of the Walter Camp Award and the winner of the Doak Walker Award on December 6, 2007. He was the second person (along with Ricky Williams) to win the Doak Walker Award twice. McFadden finished second in a row for the second year in a row. He came in second place in Heisman voting in consecutive years after losing by 1,957 points to 1,703 points. McFadden was named the winner of the Jim Brown Trophy, which was awarded to the nation's top running backs. In addition, he was also voted unanimous first-team All-American.

McFadden began his college career as the most decorated player in school history and holds virtually all of the university's rushing records, and he is also in a number of the SEC's all-time top ten rushing positions. His career total of 4,590 yards in the SEC stands second all-time in career rushing yards, behind only Herschel Walker of Georgia with 5,259. With 41 points, McFadden finished in seventh place in the Southeastern Conference's career in career rushing touchdowns record. McFadden is widely regarded as the best and finest football player in Arkansas Razorbacks football history, and he is certainly the most coveted.

Mike Conley, Sr., a former Arkansas track and field star, was accused by KARK-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas, of buying a Cadillac Escalade for McFadden, jeopardizing McFadden's status as an amateur for the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic and a potential senior season. KARK later retracted the survey and apologized to Conley. McFadden will be the cover star for the Xbox 360's version of NCAA Football 09, which will be released on March 6, 2008.

Professional career

McFadden ran an unofficial time of 4.27 seconds and a record of 4.33 seconds on the 40-yard dash, finishing second among all running backs at the combine to only Chris Johnson, who ran a new record 4.24 seconds on Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. McFadden was also rated 17 on the Wonderlic exam, according to reports. McFadden's selection number in the draft was subjected to a variety of rumors. He was chastised for potential character issues as a result of two nightclub altercations and the recruitment of a lawyer to handle his paternity issues.

McFadden was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. McFadden has been signed by the Raiders to a six-year, $60.1 million deal with US$26 million in guarantees. As was the case with quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007, labor talks were swift due to the Raiders' concerns of a second straight contract holdout.

McFadden impressed Raiders coach Lane Kiffin with his ability to take instructions and seamlessly incorporate them into his game. Marcus Allen, the most complete Raiders rookie at this point, was considered by media analysts as the most complete Raiders rookie since Marcus Allen. McFadden's NFL debut against the Denver Broncos on September 8, where he had 46 rushing yards on 9 carries; the Raiders lost the game, 14-41. McFadden's first professional touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 14, 2008, his second NFL game in which he gained 164 yards on 21 attempts. In this game, McFadden sustained a broken ankle, which limited him to 14 games, with three of whom have missed games. McFadden scored 2 touchdowns in his first multi-touchdown game in his career on November 23, his first multi-touchdown game in his career. He finished the season with 499 yards on 113 attempts, with four touchdowns. He has also caught 29 touchdowns for 285 yards. Tom Cable, the Browns' interim head coach who took over after Kiffin was fired by owner Al Davis, was suspended for failing to play McFadden later this season. Cable replied to criticism by saying, "Well, what really dictated was the rotation we were in in terms of the game, not the game's flow." I think [Justin] Fargas played a decent job. It's just those situations that arise." Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune responded to Cable's, saying, "If the game's flow keeps McFadden, an excellent receiving back, off the field on third down plays that call for a pass," needs to be changed by the play-caller." McFadden was bothered by numerous injuries and saw a career low in carries and yardage during his 2009 Oakland Raiders tenure. McFadden's low point of the season came after he rushed for minus 2 yards against the Texans on October 4.

McFadden began the 2010 season as a better player than he was in his first two seasons. On September 12, McFadden rushed for 95 yards on 18 carries against the Tennessee Titans. McFadden passed for 145 yards on 30 attempts against the St. Louis Rams in Week 2. In Week 3, McFadden passed for 105 yards with a rushing touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. After being hospitalized against the Houston Texans on October 5, McFadden missed four games due to knee surgery for a torn meniscus. McFadden carried the ball 16 times against the Denver Broncos on October 24, 2010. He had a total of 165 yards and three touchdowns on his return from October 24, 2010. He also had two receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown. McFadden was only the fourth Raider to score four touchdowns in a game. Art Powell, Marcus Allen, and Harvey Williams were among the others.

McFadden will only rush for 14 yards in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 21. On November 28, McFadden suffered again against the Miami Dolphins. This time, he only passed for 2 yards on 8 attempts. In Week 13, McFadden will face the San Diego Chargers. On 19 attempts, he rushed for 97 yards.

Despite playing in only 13 games, McFadden was one of the top NFL running backs last season. He had career highs in rush (1,157 yards), receiving (506 yards), TDs (10 total, 3 receiving), and total yards from scrimmage (1,663 yards). He had 6 games with at least 100 yards rushing and a total of nine games with at least 89 yards rushing. His passing yards per game (89.0), total scrimmage yards (1,663), and yards per carry (5.2) were all ranked in the top five among NFL running backs.

In Week 1 of the Oakland Colis, McFadden rushed for 150 yards against the Broncos. In a season opener, McFadden's 150 yards was the most ever for a Raiders running back. The Raiders would win the game 23-20 and remain undefeated. McFadden was held to 72 yards on 20 carries against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, which was a 3.6 average. However, McFadden found other ways to assist the Raiders. He had 7 passes for 71 yards and scored a touchdown. The Raiders lost the game 38-35, but the Packers lost the game 38-35. McFadden ran for 171 yards, a new career high, on 19 attempts, assisting the Raiders in Week 34-24. McFadden also scored two rushing touchdowns in the process. In the Rex Ryan era, McFadden became the third running back to rush for 100 or more yards against the Jets. McFadden was named as the Week's best NFL Player of the Week due to his efforts. McFadden rushed for 91 yards on 20 attempts, a 4.6 average, and a rushing touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in week 6.

McFadden led the league in rushing with 610 yards, while the Raiders were 4-2. McFadden had to leave the game after 2 runs due to an increase in his chronic foot injury, and was suspended for the remainder of the season.

McFadden returned to the 2012 season but he lost 707 yards on 216 attempts. He did lead the Raiders in rushing, and he had three 100-plus yards in rushes. McFadden's challenges were attributed to his continued injury problems, as he missed another four games this season, as well as the reinstatement of the zone blocking scheme that McFadden struggled with in his first two years with the Raiders.

McFadden appeared in ten games during the 2013 season, totaling 114 yards for 379 yards (a 3.3 percent average) and five touchdowns.

After the release of Rashad Jennings, Oakland re-signed McFadden on March 11, 2014. He only passed the ball for four carries for five yards against the 49ers in week 14. Darren McFadden played a full season in 2014 for the first time in his career. He appeared in all 16 games with 12 starts. He had 155 passes for 534 yards (a 3.4-yard average) and 2 touchdowns during the year. Due to the emergence of second-year running back Latavius Murray, McFadden saw a decline in his number of carries.

McFadden signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys worth up to $5.85 million, with a $200,000 bonus, on March 13, 2015, making him one of the candidates to replace DeMarco Murray, one of the most departed DeMarco Murray.

McFadden took over the lead back role against the New York Giants on Week 7, replacing an injured Joseph Randle and totaling a season-high 152 yards passing and a touchdown in a road loss. It was his first 100-yard game since 2013, and the first for a Cowboys running back in 2015.

After only passing 129 yards in his first five games, he will continue as the starter and finished with 1,089 passing yards (4th in the NFL). He was able to play in all 16 games for the second time in his career, among the 27 running backs with at least 160 yards (4th in the NFL), 5 100-yard first downs (4th in the NFL), and 2 40-plus yards (4th in the NFL). His 3 touchdowns were second on the team, his 40 receptions were his fourth, and his 328 receiving yards were his second-most on a single season.

McFadden was the first retired Razorbacks to record two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in a NFL career. His 100-yard rushing games against the Giants (152 yards), the Philadelphia Eagles (117 yards), Miami Dolphins (129 yards), the Miami Dolphins (129 yards), and the Jets (100 yards). He also played in two games with 100+ scrimmage yards against Seattle (113 rushing-plus reception yards against Seattle, and 145rushing-plus-receiving yards against Washington) during his two previous games.

McFadden joined Organized Team Activities in the search for the first position with rookie Ezekiel Elliott and free agent acquisition Alfred Morris.

On June 14, he underwent surgery after breaking his right elbow in an off-field crash at his house during the Memorial Day weekend and was drafted on the reserve/NFI list during the preseason. Lance Dunbar's remarkable recovery from a serious knee injury prompted the Cowboys to keep McFadden there for the 2016 season. Elliott's progress and availability have both postponed his induction to the regular season roster until December 13.

Morris was seen as the back-up quarterback on the depth chart as soon as he was introduced to his Tampa Bay Buccaneers because he was perceived as more of a complete player with his blocking and receiving skills. He was named the starter to save Elliott for the playoffs by the Philadelphia Eagles in the season finale. He finished the season with 87 passing yards and 17 receiving yards after starting in three games (one start).

McFadden signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys on March 16. Alfred Morris was voted on the depth chart in the preseason to replace Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys activated running back Rod Smith rather than McFadden during the regular season because he would play on special teams. After being a healthy scratch for all but one game (against the Atlanta Falcons), McFadden demanded for his freedom on November 26.

McFadden resigned from football after ten years in the NFL on November 28, 2017, just two days after being released.

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