Darren Mickell

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Darren Mickell

| number = 92, 99, 98

| position = Defensive tackle
Defensive end

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|8|3|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 285

| high_school = Miami Senior

| college = Florida

| suppdraftyear = 1992

| suppdraftround = 2

| pastteams =

Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1992|1995}})
New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1996|1999}})
San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|2000}})
Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2001}})

| highlights =

SEC championship (1991)

| statlabel3 = Tackles

| statvalue3 = 178

| statlabel4 = Sacks

| statvalue4 = 26.0

| statlabel5 = Forced fumbles

| statvalue5 = 11

| pfr = MickDa20

}}

Darren Mickell (born August 3, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and early 2000s. Mickell played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, the New Orleans Saints, the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.

Early years

Mickell was born in Miami, Florida, in 1970.Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MickDa20.htm Darren Mickell]. Retrieved July 19, 2010. He attended Miami Senior High School, and played high school football for the Miami Stingarees.databaseFootball.com, Players, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100215031403/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MICKEDAR01 Darren Mickell]}}. Retrieved July 19, 2010.

College career

Mickell accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Gators teams in 1990 and 1991.[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035222/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf |date=April 2, 2012 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 98, 154, 184 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011. Mickell was a highly regarded recruit who was signed by the Gators' previous head coach, Galen Hall, but he did not qualify academically and was ineligible to play under the NCAA's Proposition 48 legislation during his freshman season in 1989. Spurrier subsequently benched him for the first five games of the 1991 season for his failure to attend classes as required. After his return to the playing field, Mickell was one of the defensive heroes in the Gators' 14–9 upset of the Florida State Seminoles in November 1991—widely regarded as one of the closest and hardest-fought games in the Florida-Florida State rivalry series. Mickell lettered in 1990 and 1991, and left school a year early, after being suspended for the 1992 season for undisclosed violations of team rules.Associated Press, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=03UzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1405,8449724&dq=darren-mickell&hl=en Chiefs take former Gator Mickell in draft]," The Gainesville Sun, p. 1C (August 25, 1992). Retrieved July 20, 2010.

Professional career

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Mickell in the second round of the 1992 NFL Supplemental Draft.{{Cite web |title=1992 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1992/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played for the Chiefs for four seasons from {{NFL Year|1992}} to {{NFL Year|1995}}.National Football League, Historical Players, [http://www.nfl.com/players/darrenmickell/profile?id=MIC744855 Darren Mickell]. Retrieved July 19, 2010. Mickell was traded to the New Orleans Saints after the 1995 season, and was a consistent starter for the Saints from {{NFL Year|1996}} to {{NFL Year|1998}}. He signed with the San Diego Chargers a one-year deal as a free agent in {{NFL Year|2000}},Associated Press, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3cY0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=NSEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=5412,6877385&dq=darren-mickell&hl=en Chargers sign Chancey, Mickell]," Lodi News-Sentinel, p. 14 (February 26, 2000). Retrieved July 20, 2010. and the Oakland Raiders in {{NFL Year|2001}}. In his eight NFL seasons, Mickell played in eighty-nine regular season games, started sixty-one of them, and recorded 178 tackles and eleven forced fumbles.

Life after football

Mickell is the father of four children: eldest son Darren C. Mickell, Delesha Mickell, Darreon Mickell and Anyae Mickell.

References

Bibliography

Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). {{ISBN|0-7948-2298-3}}.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). {{ISBN|0-9650782-1-3}}.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). {{ISBN|1-58261-514-4}}.
McCarthy, Kevin M., [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Tk-IQepI6cC Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football], Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). {{ISBN|978-0-7385-0559-6}}.
Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). {{ISBN|1-57167-196-X}}.