Darius Fleming
{{Short description|American football player (born 1989)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Darius Fleming
| image = Darius Fleming.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Fleming with the Patriots in 2015
| current_team =
| number = 58, 53
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|7|19}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 245
| high_school = St. Rita (Chicago)
| college = Notre Dame
| cis =
| draftyear = 2012
| draftround = 5
| draftpick = 165
| pastteams = * San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|2012}}−{{NFL Year|2013}})
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2014}}–{{NFL Year|2015}})
| status =
| highlights = * Super Bowl champion (XLIX)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 10
| pfr = FlemDa00
}}
Darius Fleming (born July 19, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft.
Early life
Fleming attended St. Rita High School in Chicago, Illinois. As a junior, he recorded 105 tackles including 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks, and helped lead St. Rita to the Class 7A state championship. As a senior, he led his high school to the Chicago Prep Bowl city championship. He recorded 69 tackles including 15 tackles for loss and ten sacks. For his efforts, he was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Considered to be a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the No.8 outside linebacker in the nation.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/highschool/football/recruiting/player-Darius-Fleming-60835#stats |title=Darius Fleming - Yahoo! Sports |publisher=Rivals.yahoo.com |access-date=December 23, 2012}} He committed to Notre Dame over offers from Iowa, Michigan, and hometown Illinois.
Fleming also competed in rodeos and bowling, and was a good enough bowler that he considered transferring to a school with a better bowling team.{{Cite web|title = Patriots linebacker Darius Fleming nearly chose a different path - The Boston Globe|url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/02/patriots-linebacker-darius-fleming-nearly-chose-different-path/WOtli0HwYgEFkCTK0IhOKI/story.html|website = BostonGlobe.com|access-date = January 9, 2016}}
College career
He mainly played 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker during his tenure for the Irish. Over his four-year career, he accumulated 157 tackles, including 32 for loss, fourteen and a half sacks, two interceptions, and nine pass deflections.
Professional career
=San Francisco 49ers=
He was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2012 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He tore his ACL on May 11, 2012, at the 49ers rookie minicamp,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/darius-fleming-tears-acl-at-san-francisco-49ers-minicamp-09000d5d8291d4a4|title=Darius Fleming tears ACL at San Francisco 49ers' minicamp|website=NFL.com }} and was eliminated for his entire rookie season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ninersnation.com/2012/7/23/3177303/rookies-joe-looney-darius-fleming-expected-to-begin-training-camp-on|title=Rookies Joe Looney, Darius Fleming Expected to Begin Training Camp on PUP List|date=July 23, 2012}} On July 30, 2013, he retore the same ACL during training camp, and was waived/injured by the team.{{Cite web|url=http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49ers-Waive-Fleming-Sign-Travis-Johnson/471fd05a-1958-4d35-9568-37d877b0c549|title = 49ers Waive Fleming; Sign Travis Johnson}} On July 31, 2013, Fleming cleared waivers and was placed on the injured reserve list. Fleming was released on May 12, 2014 {{Cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/49ers/ci_25748296/49ers-release-linebacker-darius-fleming|title=49ers release linebacker Darius Fleming|date=May 12, 2014}}
=New England Patriots=
Fleming was signed by the New England Patriots on May 16, 2014. He was released on September 13, 2014, and signed to the team's practice squad on September 16, 2014. On November 29, he was promoted to the active roster.{{cite web|work=Patriots.com|url=http://www.patriots.com/news/2014/11/29/patriots-sign-lb-darius-fleming-53-man-roster|title=Patriots sign LB Darius Fleming to the 53-man roster|date=November 29, 2014|access-date=March 5, 2016|archive-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313080346/http://www.patriots.com/news/2014/11/29/patriots-sign-lb-darius-fleming-53-man-roster|url-status=dead}} Fleming played primarily on special teams during the Patriots' playoff run and Super Bowl XLIX championship, and recovered a Josh Cribbs muffed punt in the AFC Championship Game.
On September 5, 2015, he was released from the Patriots during the team's 53-man roster cuts, and was re-signed to New England's practice squad two days later. Fleming was promoted to the active roster on November 28, 2015.{{cite web|work=Patriots.com|url=http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/11/28/patriots-sign-te-asante-cleveland-and-lb-darius-fleming-53-man-roster-release-db|title=Patriots sign TE Asante Cleveland and LB Darius Fleming to 53-man roster; Release DB Dewey McDonald|date=November 28, 2015|access-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091859/http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/11/28/patriots-sign-te-asante-cleveland-and-lb-darius-fleming-53-man-roster-release-db|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}
On January 14, 2016, Fleming rescued a woman from a three-car accident in which a big rig made an immediate turn and caused cars to pile up behind it. Darius pulled over and noticed that the cars were smoking, and he subsequently broke into the front passenger seat of one of the cars and saved a woman's life. He played in the Patriots' 2015–16 NFL playoffs Divisional Playoff Game versus the Kansas City Chiefs on January 16, just two days after the rescue with 22 stitches in his leg. It wasn't until about a week later that news about the wreck was made public.{{cite web|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14611083/new-england-patriots-lb-darius-fleming-says-rescued-woman-car-accident|title=Pats' Darius Fleming says he cut leg rescuing woman after car accident|date=January 21, 2016|first=Mike|last=Reiss|access-date=March 5, 2016}}
On March 4, 2016, the Patriots released Fleming.{{cite web|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/199298/patriots-inform-lb-darius-fleming-of-his-release|title=Patriots inform LB Darius Fleming of his release|date=March 4, 2016|first=Mike |last=Reiss|access-date=March 5, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Football stats |nfl=2532840 |espn=15080 |pfr=F/FlemDa00}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150316185503/http://www.patriots.com/team/players/roster/darius-fleming New England Patriots bio]
- [http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/fleming_darius00.html Notre Dame Fighting Irish football bio]
{{Super Bowl XLIX}}
{{San Francisco 49ers 2012 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Darius}}
Category:American football linebackers
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players