Darius Reynaud
Encyclopedia
Darius Reynaud is an American football
running back
/ wide receiver
who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at West Virginia
.
He has also played for the New York Giants
.
offensive MVP award in high school after leading Hahnville High School
to an undefeated record and the state championship as a senior. He recorded 236 carries for 1,889 yards and 37 touchdowns as a Running back
his senior
season, with nine 100 yard rushing games. His stats earned him First-team All-State, All-District, All-6-5A and All-River Parish honors. He also was the Louisiana state long jump champion with a 24.5' jump.
Although he was an offensive and long jump star in high school, Reynaud only received scholarship offers from Indiana and West Virginia
. He eventually signed as one of the last recruits with the Mountaineers.
During the 2005 season
, Reynaud was accompanied with freshman-stars Pat White and Steve Slaton
, and sophomore fullback Owen Schmitt
. Reynaud was backup to red shirt-junior receiver Brandon Myles
, but still recorded 297 yards on 30 catches. He had a career-first touchdown in the win against Wofford
, a 27-yard catch from Adam Bednarik. In the Sugar Bowl
win against the Georgia Bulldogs
, Reynaud scored in the first quarter with a three-yard reception and a 13-yard reverse-run, and totaled 48 yards receiving.
During the 2006 season
, Reynaud's junior season, he started opposite Brandon Myles. Reynaud recorded a career-high 520 yards and a career-low two touchdowns off of 39 receptions. When Slaton was injured against Louisville
, Reynaud filled in for him at running back, contributing to Reynaud's 221 yards rushing on 14 carries for the season. He had a career-best 110 yards on five catches with a touchdown against ECU, when the run offense wasn't productive. He was also effective on special teams, when he recorded 813 yards on kick returns and a touchdown. The touchdown came against Maryland, when he bobbled the ball upon catching it. He then picked it up and ran 96 yards for the score, which was the ESPN
Play of the Week. He was named to the second-team all-Big East squad at the season's end, along with tackle Ryan Stanchek and punt returner Vaughn Rivers, who were both named to the second-team squad. Reynaud had 1,554 all-purpose yards on the season, which is the sixth most in a season by a Mountaineer in school history.
In the 2007 season
, Reynaud was the main receiver for quarterback Pat White. Reynaud earned second-team all-Big East honors after the regular season ended and earned the team's Coaches Contribution Award. In the team's 48-28 victory over Oklahoma
in the Fiesta Bowl
, he recorded five receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns and also had a 30-yard run for a touchdown. His touchdowns tied him with Chris Henry for most in a single-season in school history and moved him to third all-time in school history while his 64 receptions on the season was fourth most in school history.
Reynaud finished his career 12th in the all-time school career receiving yardage list, fifth most receptions and third most receiving touchdowns.
.
Reynaud was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Reynaud's 34.5 vertical jump was the 11th best by a receiver, while his 3-cone drill time of 6.88 was the 9th best, his 20 bench reps were third, and his broad jump was also third best for a receiver.
Reynaud reported that he met with the New England Patriots
at the NFL Combine
. At West Virginia's Pro Day, Reynaud ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, with a 37" vertical jump. He also improved his broad jump from 10'7" to 10'10". Reynaud also ran a 1.47 10-yard dash time, which was one of the best for any Draft prospect at their respective Pro Days.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
and was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
. He was released by the team during final cuts, but re-signed to the team's practice squad. The Vikings then promoted Reynaud to the active roster late in November 2008. Reynaud made his NFL debut during Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars
. During the game, he returned two kicks for 36 yards, with a long of 18 yards. He also recorded one tackle. In the Vikings 34-14 victory over the Chicago Bears
, he returned two kicks for 62 yards, including a 49-yard return. He also recorded two tackles. Reynaud ended the season with eight kick returns for 201 yards, including a season-long 49-yard return. On September 5, 2009, Reynaud was made part of the 53 man active roster for the Vikings. After the 2009-2010 season, the Vikings converted Reynaud to the Running back
position. As a result, Reynaud has changed his jersey number from 82 to 27.
, to the New York Giants.On September 3 2011 Reynaud was cut by the Giants
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
/ wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
.
He has also played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Reynaud was born to Katrina and Michael Reynaud. Reynaud was awarded the St. Charles parishSt. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...
offensive MVP award in high school after leading Hahnville High School
Hahnville High School
Hahnville High School is a public high school in Boutte, Louisiana; about 30 miles southwest of New Orleans. It is part of the St. Charles Parish Public School System, serving all students in that area of the west bank of the Mississippi River in grades 9 through 12. J.B. Martin and R.K...
to an undefeated record and the state championship as a senior. He recorded 236 carries for 1,889 yards and 37 touchdowns as a Running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
his senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
season, with nine 100 yard rushing games. His stats earned him First-team All-State, All-District, All-6-5A and All-River Parish honors. He also was the Louisiana state long jump champion with a 24.5' jump.
Although he was an offensive and long jump star in high school, Reynaud only received scholarship offers from Indiana and West Virginia
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. He eventually signed as one of the last recruits with the Mountaineers.
2004-2005
Darius Reynaud enrolled at West Virginia University in 2004. Reynaud did not participate in any games his true freshman year due to grades, but was not red shirted.During the 2005 season
2005 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2005 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with an 11–1 record. The Mountaineers won their third consecutive Big East Title with a conference record of 7–0...
, Reynaud was accompanied with freshman-stars Pat White and Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, and sophomore fullback Owen Schmitt
Owen Schmitt
-Seattle Seahawks:Schmitt was drafted in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was the second Mountaineer selected in the draft, behind Steve Slaton in the third round to the Houston Texans. Schmitt signed a four-year $1.87 million contract that included a $158,000...
. Reynaud was backup to red shirt-junior receiver Brandon Myles
Brandon Myles
Brandon Myles is an American and Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants in 2007...
, but still recorded 297 yards on 30 catches. He had a career-first touchdown in the win against Wofford
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
, a 27-yard catch from Adam Bednarik. In the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
win against the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
, Reynaud scored in the first quarter with a three-yard reception and a 13-yard reverse-run, and totaled 48 yards receiving.
During the 2006 season
2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...
, Reynaud's junior season, he started opposite Brandon Myles. Reynaud recorded a career-high 520 yards and a career-low two touchdowns off of 39 receptions. When Slaton was injured against Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
, Reynaud filled in for him at running back, contributing to Reynaud's 221 yards rushing on 14 carries for the season. He had a career-best 110 yards on five catches with a touchdown against ECU, when the run offense wasn't productive. He was also effective on special teams, when he recorded 813 yards on kick returns and a touchdown. The touchdown came against Maryland, when he bobbled the ball upon catching it. He then picked it up and ran 96 yards for the score, which was the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Play of the Week. He was named to the second-team all-Big East squad at the season's end, along with tackle Ryan Stanchek and punt returner Vaughn Rivers, who were both named to the second-team squad. Reynaud had 1,554 all-purpose yards on the season, which is the sixth most in a season by a Mountaineer in school history.
In the 2007 season
2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007 that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement,...
, Reynaud was the main receiver for quarterback Pat White. Reynaud earned second-team all-Big East honors after the regular season ended and earned the team's Coaches Contribution Award. In the team's 48-28 victory over Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, he recorded five receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns and also had a 30-yard run for a touchdown. His touchdowns tied him with Chris Henry for most in a single-season in school history and moved him to third all-time in school history while his 64 receptions on the season was fourth most in school history.
Reynaud finished his career 12th in the all-time school career receiving yardage list, fifth most receptions and third most receiving touchdowns.
Pre-draft
On January 10, 2008, Reynaud announced he would forgo his senior year (regained due to being a prop player) and enter the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
.
Reynaud was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Reynaud's 34.5 vertical jump was the 11th best by a receiver, while his 3-cone drill time of 6.88 was the 9th best, his 20 bench reps were third, and his broad jump was also third best for a receiver.
Reynaud reported that he met with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
at the NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
. At West Virginia's Pro Day, Reynaud ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, with a 37" vertical jump. He also improved his broad jump from 10'7" to 10'10". Reynaud also ran a 1.47 10-yard dash time, which was one of the best for any Draft prospect at their respective Pro Days.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||
| Wt | 40 yd 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
60 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Broad Jump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *201 lb | *4.47s | *11.47 | *6.88 | 37" | *20 | *10'7" |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Minnesota Vikings
Reynaud went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
and was signed by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He was released by the team during final cuts, but re-signed to the team's practice squad. The Vikings then promoted Reynaud to the active roster late in November 2008. Reynaud made his NFL debut during Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. During the game, he returned two kicks for 36 yards, with a long of 18 yards. He also recorded one tackle. In the Vikings 34-14 victory over the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he returned two kicks for 62 yards, including a 49-yard return. He also recorded two tackles. Reynaud ended the season with eight kick returns for 201 yards, including a season-long 49-yard return. On September 5, 2009, Reynaud was made part of the 53 man active roster for the Vikings. After the 2009-2010 season, the Vikings converted Reynaud to the Running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
position. As a result, Reynaud has changed his jersey number from 82 to 27.
New York Giants
On September 3, 2010 Reynaud was traded, along with QB Sage RosenfelsSage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolphins from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans from...
, to the New York Giants.On September 3 2011 Reynaud was cut by the Giants
External links
- Minnesota Vikings bio
- Bio at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Mountaineers in Pros Blog Profile