BIOGRAPHY
Darren Waller was born on September 13th, 1992 in Landover, Maryland. He is a tight end in the National Football League.
Waller is the great-grandson of jazz legend Fats Waller. He attended North Cobb High School, Kennesaw, Georgia. After high school, he went on to play college football at Georgia Tech. He initially struggled to adjust to the college game and wasn't a significant part of the offense until 2013. However, he was still the number two receiving target behind Deandre Smelter by a large margin. After an injury to Smelter in the regular-season finale, Waller lit up the postseason with two huge games. Waller came up big in both of these games, especially the Orange Bowl. The receptions were limited in both games, but his catches went for big gains.
After college, he participated in the NFL Scouting Combine. He was placed in the top performance in the Vertical Jump, 60-yard shuttle. He is faster than quick and has a coveted size-speed combination. Waller isn't just a tall receiver, he has legitimate hands and body control and can impose his size on mismatched cornerbacks. Waller has a low floor, but with a little more competitive fire and technique work, he could become a legitimate touchdown maker in the league. In the 2015 NFL Draft, Darren was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. In 2018, he was waived and signed to the practice squad. On November 26, 2018, the Oakland Raiders signed Waller, taking him off the Ravens practice squad. In the 2018 season, he had six receptions for 75 yards. On October 16, 2019, Waller signed a three-year contract extension with the Raiders through the 2023 season. Waller was named as an alternate to the 2020 Pro Bowl, and after the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl, he was originally supposed to be named in as a replacement for Travis Kelce, but he had recently had thumb surgery and was unable to play. Waller finished the 2019 season with 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns. For the 2020 season, Waller established career highs in receptions (107), receiving yards (1,196), and touchdowns (9). His 107 receptions ranked fourth in the NFL and first among tight ends, while his yardage ranked tenth overall and second among tight ends (behind Travis Kelce's 1,416 yards). On September 10, 2022, Waller signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders, becoming the highest-paid tight end in the league.
Waller was traded to the New York Giants in 2023.
