Randy Starks
Encyclopedia
Randolph "Randy" Starks, Jr. (born December 14, 1983 in Petersburg, Virginia
) is an American football
defensive end
for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans
in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Maryland
.
because his father, Randolph, Sr., was stationed there with the United States Army
. He was eventually re-deployed to Fort Belvoir
in Virginia
.
Starks attended Westlake High School
in Waldorf, Maryland
where he played football
and basketball
. In football, he was an honorable mention all-state selection as a junior defensive tackle after recording 67 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a SuperPrep All-America
n as a senior with 77 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He also played offensive tackle during his final two seasons at Westlake. Starks finished his prep career with 194 tackles while ranking third in school history in sacks.
Starks also lettered three years in basketball. As a junior, he was the leading scorer and rebounder in south Maryland. As a senior, he led his team to a 23-3 record and was named Southern Maryland's Basketball Player of the Year by the Washington Post. He finished his career with 1,011 points scored and 682 rebounds.
over schools such as Penn State
and Virginia Tech
. He wore No. 57 for the Maryland Terrapins football team
.
Starks appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2001, including the Orange Bowl against Florida
. During the season, he recorded 35 tackles (24 solo), seven tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. His performance earned him a fourth-team All-America
n selection by Sporting News. Starks was nominated for ACC Rookie of the Week honors following a game against Georgia Tech
in which he recorded eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble in overtime.
As a sophomore in 2002, Starks appeared in all 14 games for the Terrapins including the Peach Bowl
against Tennessee
. He earned second-team All-ACC
honors after recording 93 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six passes defensed. His tackle total ranked third on the team, his sack total second on the team while his 17 quarterback hurries led the team.
Prior to his junior season, Starks was named the preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN.com
and was on the watchlist for the Lombardi Award
and Outland Trophy
. He appeared in 13 games for the Terrapins in 2003 on his way to first-team All-ACC honors. He finished the season with 74 tackles (39 solo), 15.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. His tackles for a loss total led the team while ranking fourth in the conference. Starks was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week following a game against Virginia
in which he had eight tackles (five solo), three tackles for a loss and a sack of quarterback
Matt Schaub
.
Starks decided to forgo his senior season at Maryland and instead declare for the 2004 NFL Draft
at the age of 20. A two-time All-ACC selection, he finished his college career with 38 games played, 201 tackles (111 solo), 34 tackles for a loss, 17.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and nine passes defensed.
Key: GP - games played; Total - total tackles; Solo - solo tackles; Ast - assisted tackles; TFL - tackles for loss; Sck - quarterback sacks; FF - forced fumbles; FR - fumble recoveries; INT - interceptions; PD - passes defensed; TD - touchdowns
, Starks attended the NFL Scouting Combine and met with the Atlanta Falcons
, Carolina Panthers
, Miami Dolphins
, New England Patriots
, Oakland Raiders
and San Francisco 49ers
. In April, he visited with the Kansas City Chiefs
.
in the third round (71st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
. The pick used to draft him was acquired from the Houston Texans
in a draft day trade. He was initially unable to attend offseason workouts due to a league rule preventing rookies from participating in team activities before their school year has been completed. Starks agreed to terms on a contract with the Titans on July 28. He wore No. 90 for the team.
As a rookie in 2004, Starks appeared in all but two games for the Titans and started eight games. He made his NFL debut on September 11 against the Miami Dolphins
, sacking quarterback
A. J. Feeley. During the season, he also sacked Carson Palmer
(Bengals
), Craig Krenzel
(Bears
) and David Carr (Texans
). His 4.5 sacks on the year led all rookie defensive tackles, including six players - Tommie Harris
, Vince Wilfork
, Marcus Tubbs
, Darnell Dockett
, Junior Siavii
, Tank Johnson
- drafted before him. Additionally, he recorded 53 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a pass defensed and a blocked field goal on the season. He forced fumbles against Krenzel and Peyton Manning
(Colts
) while blocking a Kris Brown
kick against the Houston Texans
.
With the Titans reportedly impressed with Starks' rookie campaign, he worked with the first-team defense during the 2005 offseason. He wound up started all 16 regular season games for the Titans that season, recording 78 tackles and three sacks. His sacks came against Anthony Wright (Ravens
), Marc Bulger
(Rams
) and Gus Frerotte
(Dolphins).
Prior to a preseason game on August 12, 2006, Starks was dismissed from the team by head coach Jeff Fisher
and turned himself into police after he was charged with assaulting his fiancé. He returned to practice three days later, and in December the case was dismissed on the condition he attend anger-management counseling sessions.
That season, Starks appeared in all 16 games for the second straight season and started eight of them. He finished the year with 56 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. In the season opener against the New York Jets
, he recovered a Chad Pennington
fumble that led to a Titans touchdown on the next play. Against the Philadelphia Eagles
on November 19, Starks returned a Jeff Garcia
fumble 26 yards before lateraling it to linebacker
Keith Bulluck
, who took it 16 more yards for a score. His sacks that season came against David Carr (Texans) and David Garrard
(Jaguars
).
A restricted free agent
in the 2007 offseason, Starks was tendered a contract by the Titans on March 1. He went on to appear in 14 games for the Titans that season but started a career-low four games. He recorded 39 tackles and fumble recovery on the year but failed to record a sack for the first time in his career. In a Monday Night Football
contest against the New Orleans Saints
, he recovered a Drew Brees
fumble forced by Travis LaBoy
. He became an unrestricted free agent following the season.
. He signed a five-year, $21 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. In April, it was reported he would see playing time at both right defensive end
and nose tackle.
Key: GP - games played; GS - games started; Total - total tackles; Solo - solo tackles; Ast - assisted tackles; Sck - quarterback sacks; FF - forced fumbles; FR - fumble recoveries; INT - interceptions; PD - passes defensed; TD - touchdowns
truck on Ocean Drive
in South Beach
, Miami. The truck left the scene after, but it was stopped by police a block later. Starks faces charges of aggravated battery.
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
) is an American football
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...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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 Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. 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 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Early years
Starks spent the first five years of his life in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
because his father, Randolph, Sr., was stationed there with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was eventually re-deployed to Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Starks attended Westlake High School
Westlake High School (Maryland)
Westlake High School is a secondary school located in the west central section of Waldorf, Charles County, Maryland.The Westlake mascot, the "Wolverine", represents such sports as football, cheerleading, soccer, women's field hockey, baseball, softball, & track and field.-Notable alumni:*Randy...
in Waldorf, Maryland
Waldorf, Maryland
Waldorf, Maryland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is south-southeast of Washington, D.C. The population of the census-designated area only was 67,752 at the 2010 census...
where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. In football, he was an honorable mention all-state selection as a junior defensive tackle after recording 67 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a SuperPrep All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n as a senior with 77 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He also played offensive tackle during his final two seasons at Westlake. Starks finished his prep career with 194 tackles while ranking third in school history in sacks.
Starks also lettered three years in basketball. As a junior, he was the leading scorer and rebounder in south Maryland. As a senior, he led his team to a 23-3 record and was named Southern Maryland's Basketball Player of the Year by the Washington Post. He finished his career with 1,011 points scored and 682 rebounds.
College career
Following high school, Starks chose to attend the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
over schools such as Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
and Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
. He wore No. 57 for the Maryland Terrapins football team
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Starks appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2001, including the Orange Bowl against Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. During the season, he recorded 35 tackles (24 solo), seven tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. His performance earned him a fourth-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n selection by Sporting News. Starks was nominated for ACC Rookie of the Week honors following a game against Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in which he recorded eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble in overtime.
As a sophomore in 2002, Starks appeared in all 14 games for the Terrapins including the Peach Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
against Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. He earned second-team All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
honors after recording 93 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six passes defensed. His tackle total ranked third on the team, his sack total second on the team while his 17 quarterback hurries led the team.
Prior to his junior season, Starks was named the preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN.com
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....
and was on the watchlist for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
and Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
. He appeared in 13 games for the Terrapins in 2003 on his way to first-team All-ACC honors. He finished the season with 74 tackles (39 solo), 15.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. His tackles for a loss total led the team while ranking fourth in the conference. Starks was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week following a game against Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in which he had eight tackles (five solo), three tackles for a loss and a sack of 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...
Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
.
Starks decided to forgo his senior season at Maryland and instead declare for the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
at the age of 20. A two-time All-ACC selection, he finished his college career with 38 games played, 201 tackles (111 solo), 34 tackles for a loss, 17.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and nine passes defensed.
Statistics
| Career Statistics | |||||||||||
| Tackles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | GP | Total | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | FF | FR | INT | PD | TD |
| 2001 | 11 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 14 | 93 | 49 | 44 | 12.5 | 6.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2003 | 13 | 73 | 38 | 35 | 14.5 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 201 | 111 | 90 | 34 | 17.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Key: GP - games played; Total - total tackles; Solo - solo tackles; Ast - assisted tackles; TFL - tackles for loss; Sck - quarterback sacks; FF - forced fumbles; FR - fumble recoveries; INT - interceptions; PD - passes defensed; TD - touchdowns
Pre-draft
Prior to the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, Starks attended the NFL Scouting Combine and met with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. In April, he visited with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
Tennessee Titans
Starks was drafted by the Tennessee TitansTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the third round (71st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. The pick used to draft him was acquired from the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a draft day trade. He was initially unable to attend offseason workouts due to a league rule preventing rookies from participating in team activities before their school year has been completed. Starks agreed to terms on a contract with the Titans on July 28. He wore No. 90 for the team.
As a rookie in 2004, Starks appeared in all but two games for the Titans and started eight games. He made his NFL debut on September 11 against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, sacking 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...
A. J. Feeley. During the season, he also sacked Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
(Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
), Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel is a former college and professional American football quarterback. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes football games.-High school career:...
(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...
) and David Carr (Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
). His 4.5 sacks on the year led all rookie defensive tackles, including six players - Tommie Harris
Tommie Harris
Tommie Harris, Jr. is an American football defensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Harris has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts...
, Vince Wilfork
Vince Wilfork
-2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes...
, Marcus Tubbs
Marcus Tubbs
Marcus Dwayne Tubbs is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 23rd overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.-Early years:...
, Darnell Dockett
Darnell Dockett
Darnell Maurice Dockett is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Arizona picked him in the 3rd round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Junior Siavii
Junior Siavii
Saousoalii Poe Siavii, Jr. is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Tank Johnson
Tank Johnson
Terry "Tank" Johnson is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
- drafted before him. Additionally, he recorded 53 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a pass defensed and a blocked field goal on the season. He forced fumbles against Krenzel and Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
(Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
) while blocking a Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent.He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals and scored 573 points...
kick against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
With the Titans reportedly impressed with Starks' rookie campaign, he worked with the first-team defense during the 2005 offseason. He wound up started all 16 regular season games for the Titans that season, recording 78 tackles and three sacks. His sacks came against Anthony Wright (Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
), Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
) and Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
(Dolphins).
Prior to a preseason game on August 12, 2006, Starks was dismissed from the team by head coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
and turned himself into police after he was charged with assaulting his fiancé. He returned to practice three days later, and in December the case was dismissed on the condition he attend anger-management counseling sessions.
That season, Starks appeared in all 16 games for the second straight season and started eight of them. He finished the year with 56 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. In the season opener against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he recovered a Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
fumble that led to a Titans touchdown on the next play. Against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 19, Starks returned a Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
fumble 26 yards before lateraling it to 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...
Keith Bulluck
Keith Bulluck
Keith J. Bulluck is an American Football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted 30th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse....
, who took it 16 more yards for a score. His sacks that season came against David Carr (Texans) and David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
(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...
).
A restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
in the 2007 offseason, Starks was tendered a contract by the Titans on March 1. He went on to appear in 14 games for the Titans that season but started a career-low four games. He recorded 39 tackles and fumble recovery on the year but failed to record a sack for the first time in his career. In a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
contest against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, he recovered a Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
fumble forced by Travis LaBoy
Travis LaBoy
Travis LaBoy is an American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. He became an unrestricted free agent following the season.
Miami Dolphins
On February 29, 2008, Starks signed with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He signed a five-year, $21 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. In April, it was reported he would see playing time at both right defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and nose tackle.
Statistics
| Career Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Tackles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Total | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | INT | PD | TD |
| 2004 | TEN | 14 | 8 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 4.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 47 | 34 | 13 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | TEN | 16 | 8 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 3.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | TEN | 14 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | MIA | 16 | 4 | 29 | 22 | 7 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | MIA | 16 | 16 | 56 | 42 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 92 | 56 | 216 | 151 | 65 | 20.5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |
Key: GP - games played; GS - games started; Total - total tackles; Solo - solo tackles; Ast - assisted tackles; Sck - quarterback sacks; FF - forced fumbles; FR - fumble recoveries; INT - interceptions; PD - passes defensed; TD - touchdowns
Legal issues
On May 24, 2009, Starks was arrested by police for running into a police officer with a FreightlinerFreightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is an American manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks in the United States. The company was founded as Freightliner Inc in 1942 and is now a division of Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of the German Daimler AG...
truck on Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive (South Beach)
Ocean Drive is a street in South Beach—the southern part of Miami Beach, Florida. It is known for its Art Deco hotels. Ocean Drive is also the location of the famed , one of the most photographed houses in North America. The street is the center of the city's Art Deco District, which is home to...
in South Beach
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
, Miami. The truck left the scene after, but it was stopped by police a block later. Starks faces charges of aggravated battery.