Derek Fine

{{Short description|American football player (born 1983)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Derek Fine

| image =

| caption =

| number = 86

| position = Tight end

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|8|24}}

| birth_place = Sallisaw, Oklahoma, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lbs = 247

| high_school = Sallisaw (OK)

| college = Kansas

| draftyear = 2008

| draftround = 4

| draftpick = 132

| pastteams =

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 19

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 158

| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = FineDe00

}}

Derek Fine (born August 24, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Kansas.

Fine was also a member of the St. Louis Rams and Houston Texans.

College career

In his junior year at Kansas, Fine received the Gale Sayers Award for the team's most courageous player.{{Cite web |url=http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/fine_derek00.html |title=Player Bio: Derek Fine :: Football |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207031737/http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/fine_derek00.html |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |url-status=dead }} He was a team captain in his senior year, in which he caught 46 passes for 394 total receiving yards. He was a part of the Jayhawks team that went 12-1 and won the 2008 Orange Bowl.[https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/11379/derek-fine ESPN - Derek Fine Stats, News, Photos - Kansas Jayhawks - NCAA College Football]

Professional career

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 6

| height in = 2+5/8

| weight = 251

| arm span =

| hand span =

| dash = 4.85

| ten split = 1.65

| twenty split = 2.78

| shuttle = 4.19

| cone drill = 6.80

| vertical = 29

| broad ft = 9

| broad in = 7

| bench = 24

| wonderlic =

| note = All values from NFL Combine.{{cite web |title=Derek Fine, DS #16 TE, Kansas |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=12211&DraftYear=2008 |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 3, 2021}}

}}

=Buffalo Bills=

The Buffalo Bills selected Fine in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft, with the 132nd overall selection.{{Cite web |title=2008 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2008/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

On November 2, 2008 Fine caught his first pass in the NFL against the New York Jets. The reception was a 9-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Trent Edwards.{{Cite web |title=Derek Fine Career Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FineDe00/gamelog/ |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

In 2009, during a game against the New York Jets, Fine was battling Jets linebacker Marques Murrell and eventually started a fight with Murrell and Murrell's teammate James Ihedigbo. This fight led to Ihedigbo being ejected for trying to land a punch on Fine.

Fine was placed on injured reserve on September 22, 2009 and was replaced by Joe Klopfenstein. He was waived on February 16, 2010.{{cite news|author=Wilson, Allen |title=Bills hire special teams aide, release seven players |url=http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/958859.html |newspaper=The Buffalo News |date=February 16, 2010 |accessdate=February 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218153946/http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/958859.html |archivedate=February 18, 2010 }}

=St. Louis Rams=

Fine was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Rams on February 17, 2010. He was waived on March 5, 2010.

=Houston Texans=

Fine was signed by the Houston Texans on June 16, 2010.

On September 5, 2010, Fine was waived by the Houston Texans.

References

{{Reflist}}