Darion Conner (born September 28, 1967) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) and the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...

(AFL). He played for eight seasons in the NFL, from 1990 to 1997 and seven seasons (1999–2005) in the AFL. He was selected in the second round (27th overall) of the 1990 NFL draft by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the Jackson State Tigers. He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for

DUI Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether recreational or ...

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

and vehicular homicide. However, in July 2008, an appeals court ruled that he would be given a retrial. In his career, Conner has played for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

, and

Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The ...

. He is the highest

NFL draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

pick to ever play for the Tampa Bay Storm.

Early life and college

In high school, Conner was a three-year All-State selection as a fullback and linebacker for Noxubee County High School. He also lettered in track and was second in the state in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

. He later attended Jackson State, where he was a First-team All-SWAC in his four seasons there. He was named the 1989 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and attended the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

, the

East-West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

, and the Blue-Gray Classic, of which he was named the defensive MVP. He was a three-year NCAA

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

selection and was named to the Kodak and Sheraton All-American teams.

Professional career

National Football League (1990–1999)

Conner was selected in the

second round The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...

(27th overall) of the 1990 NFL draft by the

. He played for the Falcons for four seasons before joining the

where he played for one season, which happened to be the best season of his career, he recorded 10.5 sacks and his only career interception (which he returned 56 yards in a Week 16

Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...

match against the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

before rookie offensive lineman

Larry Allen Larry Christopher Allen Jr. (November 27, 1971 – June 2, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football ...

memorably chased him down). He then went and played for the expansion

. He was then signed on September 18, 1996, by the

. He played two seasons there before being signed on December 22, 1998, along with

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

Corey Dowden, as one of the original members of the "new"

. But was released on June 3, 1999. He never played in the NFL again after being released by the Browns.

NFL statistics

Arena Football League (1999–2005)

After being released by the Cleveland Browns, Conner signed with the

of the

on July 20. As a

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, he played in the final two games of the season. He recorded a sack and two

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

,1999 Tampa Bay Statistics
/ref> in his first game, on the road against the

San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...

on July 24. He was named Ironman of the Game in his second game, against the

New England Sea Wolves The Toronto Phantoms were a professional arena football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The team was a member of the Eastern Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team also previously operated in New York Ci ...

. In that game he recorded his first touchdown in the AFL, a 23-yard screen pass. In

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, his first full season in the AFL, Conner opened the season by sacking New England

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

Chad Salisbury. On the play Conner also forced a fumble that led to a Storm touchdown. He missed five games during the season, but had a strong performance on July 1 against the

Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played it ...

, recording a career-high six tackles and recording 2.5 sacks in a win. He led the Storm in sacks on the season, he also recorded 15 total tackles. In

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, Conner made his largest impact on defense for the Storm. He played in 12 games and recorded 20 tackles, including three for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also broke up two passes and forced two fumbles. He tied for second on the team in sacks. As he did in the previous season, he recorded the first team sack of the season in the season opener against the

Florida Bobcats The Florida Bobcats were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Sunrise, Florida. They were previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters, and played in the AFL for a total of ten seasons, the last seven in West Palm Beac ...

. On June 25 at Florida he returned

Willie Wyatt Willie Porter Wyatt (born September 27, 1967) was an Arena Football League (AFL) player who played offensive lineman/defensive lineman for the Detroit Drive in 1993 and the Tampa Bay Storm from 1995–1999, and again in 2001. He wore #55. He ...

's blocked

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...

three yards for a touchdown. He forced fumbles in back-to-back games, on the road against the

Grand Rapids Rampage The Grand Rapids Rampage was an arena football team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team began play in 1998 in the Arena Football League as an expansion team. They were last coached by Steve Thonn. Their home arena was the Van Andel Arena ...

at home against the

Carolina Cobras The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was formed prior to the 2000 season, which endured a player strike. The team was originally based in Raleigh, North Carolina, but moved to Charlotte followin ...

. In

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, Conner led the team with 3.5 tackles for loss, finishing the regular season with 10.5 total tackles and one sack. In at least two games on the season he played OL / DL. In

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, Conner missed the first two games with an

ankle The ankle, the talocrural region or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular joint. The ...

injury. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

May 17, 2003. For the season, he recorded seven tackles (two solo), one carry for six yards. In

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, Conner played in ten games and finished tied for second on the team with two sacks. He moved into ninth place on the Storm's career sacks list. He finished the season with 12 total tackles (ten solo), one pass break up, and one forced fumble. In

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Conner recorded one pass break up, before being arrested and charged with

and vehicular homicide.

Arrest and vehicular homicide conviction

In 2005, Conner was arrested and convicted of DUI-manslaughter and

vehicular homicide Vehicular homicide is a crime that involves the death of a person other than the driver as a result of either criminally negligent or murderous operation of a motor vehicle. In cases of criminal negligence, the defendant is commonly charged ...

, after a September 4, 2004 car accident while he had a BAC of .27 left a bicyclist, Jonathan Michael Conklin, 32 of Carrollwood, Florida, dead. A witness testified at Conner's July 2005 trial, that just before 2 a.m. on September 4, 2004, Conner was driving a

Toyota Land Cruiser The , also sometimes spelt as LandCruiser, is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. , the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than 1 ...

on Linebaugh Avenue. They also said that Conner's headlights were off when he first turned onto Linebaugh. He then turned them on but swerved across the road lines. The prosecution argued that Conner veered into the bike lane and struck Conklin. Conner was convicted of DUI-manslaughter and vehicular homicide and served a 15-year prison sentence, the maximum allowed punishment. In July 2008, an appeals court ruled that he would be given a retrial. Regardless of the retrial however, Conner was still sentenced to 15 years in prison (with four years of

time served In typical criminal law, time served is an informal term that describes the duration of pretrial detention (remand), the time period between when a defendant is arrested and when they are convicted. Time served does not include time served ...

at that point). He was released in 2018.

Notes

External links

Tampa Bay Storm bio

Stats at ArenaFan

Philadelphia Eagles profile
at

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Profile
at

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Stats at Football Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conner, Darion Living people 1967 births American football linebackers Jackson State Tigers football players Atlanta Falcons players New Orleans Saints players Carolina Panthers players Philadelphia Eagles players Cleveland Browns players Tampa Bay Storm players American people convicted of manslaughter Sportspeople from Macon, Mississippi