Thom Darden
Encyclopedia
Thomas Vincent Darden is a former American football
cornerback
, safety, and punt returner
who played for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
(NFL). In the NFL, he was a three-time All-Pro
free safety. He earned a Pro Bowl
selection in 1978. He holds most Cleveland Browns franchise interception records. He was an All American defensive back for the Michigan Wolverines football
team and made one of the more memorable interceptions in college football
history. After retiring from football, Darden pursued careers as a sports agent
, security provider and business consultant.
. After graduating from Sandusky High School
, was recruited by six Big Ten Conference
football programs in 1968. He played at the University of Michigan
from 1969–1971 and had 218 tackles and 11 interceptions. He was an All American in 1971, and he was also named All-Big Ten in 1970. He played on Big Ten champions in both 1969 and 1971. Thom fit in well at Michigan becoming one of Coach Bo Schembechler
's prized pupils and earning a reference in his 2006 book Bo Schembechler. Darden still ranks among leaders at Michigan for Punt Returns and Punt Return Yardage. Darden played all defensive back
positions at Michigan. In college, Darden was a housemate of Reggie McKenzie
, Glenn Doughty
, Billy Taylor
and Mike Taylor
in a notable house known as the Den of the Mellow Men.
ESPN
chose Darden's November 21, 1971 interception against Ohio State
as one of the 100 Plays, performances and moments that define college football. The play was a very controversial call late in the 10–7 game and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes
stormed the field to rant at the referee Jerry Markbreit
about the referee's call that Hayes thought should have been ruled pass interference
. By the end of Hayes' tirade, he had broken a yard marker, shredded a first-down indicator and earned two 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties. The scene was replayed over and over on national television broadcasts. That was Darden's second interception in that game. ESPN also chose Darden as a member of the All-Time University of Michigan Football team.
by the Cleveland Browns
. Darden started at free safety from his rookie
season of 1972 until he lost the job in his tenth and final season to Clinton Burrell
. He was selected as an All-Pro safety in 1976
, 1978
, and 1979
, and he went to the Pro Bowl in 1978. Over the course of his career he handled 45 punt returns for 285 return yards
. Darden holds Cleveland Browns franchise records with 45 career interceptions, 10 single-season interceptions and 820 interception return yards. Two of Darden's Cleveland Browns teams went to the playoffs. His rookie year, the 10–4 1972 Cleveland Browns went to the 1972-73 NFL playoffs
under head coach
Nick Skorich
, but lost in the first round to the Miami Dolphins
20–14. The 11–5 1980 Cleveland Browns went to the 1980-81 NFL playoffs
under head coach Sam Rutigliano
, but lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders
14–12.
and represented Tony Boles
. In 1990, he invested $25,000 in Boles by hosting him in Cleveland, Ohio
and working him out with athletic trainer
s. At the time he was Cleveland-based sports agent. During Darden's career as an agent he represented an assortment of NFL and National Basketball Association
players and prospects including Felix Wright
and Chris Calloway
. He was a supporter of Maurice Clarett
's attempt to challenge the NFL Draft
's eligibility rules. In 1998, when the NFL reissued a franchise in Cleveland, Darden was part of one of the six bidding groups. In 1999, he owned a security company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
. As of 2006, Darden was a business consultant living in Cedar Rapids.
In 1993, he went to jail for failure to pay child support
. At the time he was a registered NFL agent in Connecticut
and owed $14,000 in child support, $30,000 to a trust for his 16-year-old son, Todd, and $12,000 in his former wife's legal fees. Darden had been married to Sheryl from 1972–1977 when they divorced. He had previously been $5000 in arrears until being briefly jailed for failure to pay and cursing the judge. He had been in contempt of court
twenty times previously.
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...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, safety, and punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
who played for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North 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...
(NFL). In the NFL, he was a three-time All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
free safety. He earned a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 1978. He holds most Cleveland Browns franchise interception records. He was an All American defensive back for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team and made one of the more memorable interceptions in 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...
history. After retiring from football, Darden pursued careers as a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
, security provider and business consultant.
College football
Darden was born in Sandusky, OhioSandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. After graduating from Sandusky High School
Sandusky High School
Sandusky High School, or SHS, is a secondary school in Sandusky, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Sandusky City School District, and one of three high schools in the city of Sandusky; the other two are St Mary Central Catholic High School, and Perkins High School.SHS was one of the first...
, was recruited by six Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
football programs in 1968. He played at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1969–1971 and had 218 tackles and 11 interceptions. He was an All American in 1971, and he was also named All-Big Ten in 1970. He played on Big Ten champions in both 1969 and 1971. Thom fit in well at Michigan becoming one of Coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
's prized pupils and earning a reference in his 2006 book Bo Schembechler. Darden still ranks among leaders at Michigan for Punt Returns and Punt Return Yardage. Darden played all defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
positions at Michigan. In college, Darden was a housemate of Reggie McKenzie
Reggie McKenzie (guard)
Reginald McKenzie is a former American football player. He played at the offensive guard position for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1971. He also who played 13 years of professional football for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks...
, Glenn Doughty
Glenn Doughty
Glenn Martin "Shake & Bake" Doughty is a former American football player. He played professional football as a wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts from 1972 to 1979 and college football as a tailback and wingback for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971. He later developed the Shake...
, Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor (American football)
William "Billy" Taylor, Ed. D. is a former professional American and Canadian football running back who played for Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League after starring for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
and Mike Taylor
Mike Taylor (linebacker)
Michael Taylor is a former All-American linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1969–1971 and for the New York Jets from 1972-1973.-College career:...
in a notable house known as the Den of the Mellow Men.
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....
chose Darden's November 21, 1971 interception against Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
as one of the 100 Plays, performances and moments that define college football. The play was a very controversial call late in the 10–7 game and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
stormed the field to rant at the referee Jerry Markbreit
Jerry Markbreit
Jerry Markbreit is a former American football referee in the National Football League for 23 seasons and became one of the most recognizable referees in the game. Markbreit officiated football games for 43 seasons. From 1965 to 1975, Markbreit officiated college football games in the Big Ten...
about the referee's call that Hayes thought should have been ruled pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
. By the end of Hayes' tirade, he had broken a yard marker, shredded a first-down indicator and earned two 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties. The scene was replayed over and over on national television broadcasts. That was Darden's second interception in that game. ESPN also chose Darden as a member of the All-Time University of Michigan Football team.
Pro football
Darden was drafted 18th overall in the 1972 NFL Draft1972 NFL Draft
The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Darden started at free safety from his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season of 1972 until he lost the job in his tenth and final season to Clinton Burrell
Clinton Burrell
Clinton Blane Burrell is a former professional American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played six seasons for the Cleveland Browns....
. He was selected as an All-Pro safety in 1976
1976 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1976. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP, NEA, and PFWA teams...
, 1978
1978 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1978. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
, and 1979
1979 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1979. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP and NEA teams...
, and he went to the Pro Bowl in 1978. Over the course of his career he handled 45 punt returns for 285 return yards
Return yards
Return yards is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's Goal line...
. Darden holds Cleveland Browns franchise records with 45 career interceptions, 10 single-season interceptions and 820 interception return yards. Two of Darden's Cleveland Browns teams went to the playoffs. His rookie year, the 10–4 1972 Cleveland Browns went to the 1972-73 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1972-73
The NFL playoffs following the 1972 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VII. Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road.-Bracket:...
under head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Nick Skorich
Nick Skorich
Nicholas Leonard Skorich was an American football offensive lineman and coach.Skorich played guard at Bellaire High School and the University of Cincinnati before joining the Navy in 1943. After the end of World War II, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had drafted him in 1943...
, but lost in the first round to 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...
20–14. The 11–5 1980 Cleveland Browns went to the 1980-81 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1980-81
The NFL playoffs following the 1980 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XV.Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season , the San Diego Chargers did not play the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.-AFC: Oakland Raiders 27,...
under head coach Sam Rutigliano
Sam Rutigliano
Sam Rutigliano is a former National Football League head coach.Rutigliano, the son of Italian immigrants, played high school football at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. He played college football at Tennessee and Tulsa. He coached at the high school level in New York...
, but lost in the first round to the 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...
14–12.
Post football
Darden has served as a professional sports agentSports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
and represented Tony Boles
Tony Boles
Tony Boles is a retired professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . After starring for the Michigan Wolverines football, where he once led the Big Ten Conference in rushing, he went on to a scandal ridden...
. In 1990, he invested $25,000 in Boles by hosting him in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and working him out with athletic trainer
Athletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
s. At the time he was Cleveland-based sports agent. During Darden's career as an agent he represented an assortment of NFL and National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
players and prospects including Felix Wright
Felix Wright
Felix Carl Wright , is a former professional American football player who played safety from 1985-1992 for the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League....
and Chris Calloway
Chris Calloway
Christopher Fitzpatrick Calloway was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 189 lbs. wide receiver from the University of Michigan and Mount Carmel High School , Calloway played in 11 NFL...
. He was a supporter of Maurice Clarett
Maurice Clarett
Maurice Edward Clarett is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. During his freshman year at Ohio State University in 2002, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship...
's attempt to challenge the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
's eligibility rules. In 1998, when the NFL reissued a franchise in Cleveland, Darden was part of one of the six bidding groups. In 1999, he owned a security company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. As of 2006, Darden was a business consultant living in Cedar Rapids.
In 1993, he went to jail for failure to pay child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
. At the time he was a registered NFL agent in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and owed $14,000 in child support, $30,000 to a trust for his 16-year-old son, Todd, and $12,000 in his former wife's legal fees. Darden had been married to Sheryl from 1972–1977 when they divorced. He had previously been $5000 in arrears until being briefly jailed for failure to pay and cursing the judge. He had been in contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
twenty times previously.