Justin Durant
Encyclopedia
Justin Durant is an American football
linebacker
for the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football at Hampton University
.
He is the younger brother of CFL
quarterback
Darian Durant
.
in 2003. While there he was a teammate to Pittsburgh Steelers
linebacker Lawrence Timmons
. He was a member of the 2002 HSSR All-State team and was twice named to the Region VI Class AAA All-Region team.
. While there he started 39 of 43 games at middle linebacker and finished ranked second in school history with 353 career tackles
. He also contributed with 10 sacks
, three fumble
recoveries and four interceptions. He also became the first player in the history of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
to earn MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors three times.
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football at Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
.
He is the younger brother of CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Darian Durant
Darian Durant
Darian Bernard Durant is a professional American football quarterback who plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League . He played college football at the University of North Carolina...
.
Early years
Durant graduated from Wilson High School in Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
in 2003. While there he was a teammate to Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
linebacker Lawrence Timmons
Lawrence Timmons
Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Steelers 15th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University.-Early years:...
. He was a member of the 2002 HSSR All-State team and was twice named to the Region VI Class AAA All-Region team.
College career
Durant played college football at Hampton UniversityHampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
. While there he started 39 of 43 games at middle linebacker and finished ranked second in school history with 353 career tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
. He also contributed with 10 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, three fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries and four interceptions. He also became the first player in the history of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States...
to earn MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors three times.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Durant was drafted by the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville 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...
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
.