| No. 78 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center / Offensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | March 11, 1963 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 268 lb (122 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Klein (TX) | ||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1986 / Round: 4 / Pick: 106 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Matthew Wayne Darwin (born March 11, 1963) is a former American football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted twice, first in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and finally in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Eagles. He played college football at Texas A&M University.
Early years
Darwin attended Klein High School, where he played as a tight end. He accepted a football scholarship from Texas A&M University.
As a freshman, he was converted into an offensive tackle and became a starter. As a sophomore, he was named the starting center. [1] As a senior, he played at center and guard, while not allowing an opponent sack.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Darwin was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round (119th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. [2] He had contentious negotiations with the team and did not reach a contract agreement during the season. [3]
Philadelphia Eagles
After not signing with any team during the 1985 season, he re-entered the NFL Draft and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. [4]
After experiencing another contract holdout, he replaced an injured Gerry Feehery and started 10 games at center as a rookie. The next year, he was moved to left tackle, where he would remain as the starter for three years.
On December 21, 1989 he was placed on the injured reserve list with a left knee injury. The next year he re-injured his knee and was placed on the injured reserve list on September 30 after playing and starting in two games.
Personal life
After his football career, Darwin settled down and became a scoutmaster for Troop 437 in Richardson, Texas until 2018, when he stepped down after his third youngest son became an Eagle Scout, graduated, went to college, and was married. Matt Darwin currently attends a Reformed Baptist church in Wylie, Texas.
References
- ^ "Kickoff Volunteers at A&M". New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys' Brandt getting tough". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "Matt Darwin, the Philadelphia Eagles' fourth-round draft pick, has..." Retrieved April 30, 2023.
External links
| No. 78 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center / Offensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | March 11, 1963 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 268 lb (122 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Klein (TX) | ||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1986 / Round: 4 / Pick: 106 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Matthew Wayne Darwin (born March 11, 1963) is a former American football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted twice, first in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and finally in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Eagles. He played college football at Texas A&M University.
Early years
Darwin attended Klein High School, where he played as a tight end. He accepted a football scholarship from Texas A&M University.
As a freshman, he was converted into an offensive tackle and became a starter. As a sophomore, he was named the starting center. [1] As a senior, he played at center and guard, while not allowing an opponent sack.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Darwin was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round (119th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. [2] He had contentious negotiations with the team and did not reach a contract agreement during the season. [3]
Philadelphia Eagles
After not signing with any team during the 1985 season, he re-entered the NFL Draft and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. [4]
After experiencing another contract holdout, he replaced an injured Gerry Feehery and started 10 games at center as a rookie. The next year, he was moved to left tackle, where he would remain as the starter for three years.
On December 21, 1989 he was placed on the injured reserve list with a left knee injury. The next year he re-injured his knee and was placed on the injured reserve list on September 30 after playing and starting in two games.
Personal life
After his football career, Darwin settled down and became a scoutmaster for Troop 437 in Richardson, Texas until 2018, when he stepped down after his third youngest son became an Eagle Scout, graduated, went to college, and was married. Matt Darwin currently attends a Reformed Baptist church in Wylie, Texas.
References
- ^ "Kickoff Volunteers at A&M". New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys' Brandt getting tough". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "Matt Darwin, the Philadelphia Eagles' fourth-round draft pick, has..." Retrieved April 30, 2023.