http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1670 Recent articles about Donovin Darius en-us Today we continue with our five-part series where we identify the 20 most thrilling wins in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 amazing victories per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Enjoy! #12 | 10/16/05 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 23-17: The Jaguars were in Pittsburgh in Week 6, and they were without their workhorse RB Fred Taylor and veteran S Donovin Darius. RB Greg Jones got the nod to start in place of Taylor. On the other side of the field, QB Ben Roethlisberger missed the game, and that put former starter and XFL star QB Tommy Maddox back on the field. The Jaguars' special teams were anything but special on this day. In the 2nd quarter, punt returner Antwaan Randle-El returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown score, giving Pittsburgh a 14-7 lead. The two teams would battle back and forth, eventually sending the game into overtime knotted in a 17-17 tie. The Jaguars' special teams failed right away in overtime as they allowed kick returner Quincy Morgan to run the kick back 74 yards to the Jacksonville 26-yard line. An easy chip shot field goal seemed imminent for Pittsburgh. However, on the second play of the drive, Maddox fumbled the snap from center and the Jaguars recovered. The Jaguars' drive would stall, and the Steelers would take their second swing in overtime. On the second play from scrimmage, Maddox threw a pass….right to CB Rashean Mathis. He took it to the house, and the Jaguars stunned the Pittsburgh crowd with a thrilling 23-17 win. #11 | 12/19/04 vs. Green Bay Packers / 28-25: The Jaguars stepped onto the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field as the 12 degree temperature felt colder as the sun started to go down and came out swinging. QB Byron Leftwich tossed a 31-yard touchdown bomb to WR Jimmy Smith to give the Jaguars an early 7-0 lead. But the game eventually evolved into a matchup of RB Fred Taylor's legs versus QB Brett Favre's arm. The Jaguars chose not to fight the weather and just pound the rock on the ground with Taylor, who finished with 165 rushing yards and one big 37-yard touchdown run. Favre did his best to keep the Packers in the game, slinging a late 4th quarter touchdown and converting a two-point conversion with 1:11 left to pull to within 28-25. But the ensuing onside kick failed, and the Jaguars held on for the victory. It was the first time since 1985 that a Florida team had won in Green Bay in December. Favre's 367-yard passing performance was derailed by three costly interceptions. #10 | 9/26/04 vs. Tennessee Titans / 15-12: The Jaguars went on the road in Week 3 riding the wave of a two-game winning streak, where the Cardiac Cats escaped in one game with a miraculous last-gasp touchdown pass and another game after a late fumble recovery sealed the victory. Week 3 versus the Tennessee Titans proved to be another thriller yet another game where the Jaguars just could not get the offensive engine cranked up until late in the game. Tennessee carried a slim 6-0 lead into halftime, and RB Fred Taylor only had 4 carries for 11 yards. But he helped the Jaguars climb back into the game. With :13 left in the game and trailing 12-7, Taylor pounded his way into the end zone. The ensuing two-point conversion was good, and the Jaguars went to 3-0 with a thrilling 15-12 victory. #9 | 10/24/96 vs. Baltimore Ravens / 28-25: The 4-7 Jaguars seemed like they were on their way to another losing season. The Andre Rison experiment was a complete failure, and there were questions about whether Coach Tom Coughlin had the respect of his locker room. The Jaguars traveled to Baltimore to play the Ravens, who just two weeks earlier lost to the Jaguars by a field goal in Jacksonville. The Ravens stormed out to a 15-point lead, going up 25-10 as the 4th quarter began. But QB Mark Brunell was ready to shine, and he completed touchdown passes to both TE Pete Mitchell and WR Willie Jackson in the 4th quarter. Brunell scampered in for a two-point conversion, and the game went into overtime. K Mike Hollis sealed the amazing win 28-25 with a 34-yard game-winner. The victory was the first overtime victory in Jaguars history, and it also served as the launching pad for the amazing 7-game winning streak on the way to the AFC Championship Game. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:46:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288112 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288112 Today we continue with our five-part series where we identify the 20 most thrilling wins in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 amazing victories per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Enjoy! #12 | 10/16/05 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 23-17: The Jaguars were in Pittsburgh in Week 6, and they were without their workhorse RB Fred Taylor and veteran S Donovin Darius. RB Greg Jones got the nod to start in place of Taylor. On the other side of the field, QB Ben Roethlisberger missed the game, and that put former starter and XFL star QB Tommy Maddox back on the field. The Jaguars' special teams were anything but special on this day. In the 2nd quarter, punt returner Antwaan Randle-El returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown score, giving Pittsburgh a 14-7 lead. The two teams would battle back and forth, eventually sending the game into overtime knotted in a 17-17 tie. The Jaguars' special teams failed right away in overtime as they allowed kick returner Quincy Morgan to run the kick back 74 yards to the Jacksonville 26-yard line. An easy chip shot field goal seemed imminent for Pittsburgh. However, on the second play of the drive, Maddox fumbled the snap from center and the Jaguars recovered. The Jaguars' drive would stall, and the Steelers would take their second swing in overtime. On the second play from scrimmage, Maddox threw a pass….right to CB Rashean Mathis. He took it to the house, and the Jaguars stunned the Pittsburgh crowd with a thrilling 23-17 win. #11 | 12/19/04 vs. Green Bay Packers / 28-25: The Jaguars stepped onto the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field as the 12 degree temperature felt colder as the sun started to go down and came out swinging. QB Byron Leftwich tossed a 31-yard touchdown bomb to WR Jimmy Smith to give the Jaguars an early 7-0 lead. But the game eventually evolved into a matchup of RB Fred Taylor's legs versus QB Brett Favre's arm. The Jaguars chose not to fight the weather and just pound the rock on the ground with Taylor, who finished with 165 rushing yards and one big 37-yard touchdown run. Favre did his best to keep the Packers in the game, slinging a late 4th quarter touchdown and converting a two-point conversion with 1:11 left to pull to within 28-25. But the ensuing onside kick failed, and the Jaguars held on for the victory. It was the first time since 1985 that a Florida team had won in Green Bay in December. Favre's 367-yard passing performance was derailed by three costly interceptions. #10 | 9/26/04 vs. Tennessee Titans / 15-12: The Jaguars went on the road in Week 3 riding the wave of a two-game winning streak, where the Cardiac Cats escaped in one game with a miraculous last-gasp touchdown pass and another game after a late fumble recovery sealed the victory. Week 3 versus the Tennessee Titans proved to be another thriller yet another game where the Jaguars just could not get the offensive engine cranked up until late in the game. Tennessee carried a slim 6-0 lead into halftime, and RB Fred Taylor only had 4 carries for 11 yards. But he helped the Jaguars climb back into the game. With :13 left in the game and trailing 12-7, Taylor pounded his way into the end zone. The ensuing two-point conversion was good, and the Jaguars went to 3-0 with a thrilling 15-12 victory. #9 | 10/24/96 vs. Baltimore Ravens / 28-25: The 4-7 Jaguars seemed like they were on their way to another losing season. The Andre Rison experiment was a complete failure, and there were questions about whether Coach Tom Coughlin had the respect of his locker room. The Jaguars traveled to Baltimore to play the Ravens, who just two weeks earlier lost to the Jaguars by a field goal in Jacksonville. The Ravens stormed out to a 15-point lead, going up 25-10 as the 4th quarter began. But QB Mark Brunell was ready to shine, and he completed touchdown passes to both TE Pete Mitchell and WR Willie Jackson in the 4th quarter. Brunell scampered in for a two-point conversion, and the game went into overtime. K Mike Hollis sealed the amazing win 28-25 with a 34-yard game-winner. The victory was the first overtime victory in Jaguars history, and it also served as the launching pad for the amazing 7-game winning streak on the way to the AFC Championship Game. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:46:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288112 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288112 I continue to think that more teams will start thinking like the Eagles and trading out of the first round. It isn't about being cheap. It is about being forced to pay for a player that you have to take, only because you were lucky or unlucky enough to pick at that spot. The rookie salaries are only going to keep going up and it is something that can have a big impact on the NFL. Fri, 02 May 2008 09:21:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262687 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262687 while 1998 had its share of busts there were a few great ones as well also check out the article above if you click the link 1. Indianapolis Peyton Manning QB Active Comment: Prolific passer has Super Bowl victory to go with gaudy stats. 2. San Diego Ryan Leaf QB Retired Comment: Colossal bust retired after four seasons with 14 TDs and 36 INTs. 3. Arizona Andre Wadsworth DE Retired Comment: Knee injuries derailed his career almost before it began. 4. Oakland Charles Woodson CB Active Comment: Physical cover corner a mainstay of Packers defense. 5. Chicago Curtis Enis RB Retired Comment: Career lasted three seasons and 456 forgettable carries. 6. St. Louis Grant Wistrom DE Retired Comment: High-motor style helped Rams, Seahawks reach Super Bowls. 7. New Orleans Kyle Turley OT Retired Comment: Started 107 games over nine seasons before injuries took over. 8. Dallas Greg Ellis DE Active Comment: Solid starter coming off 12½ sack season, Pro Bowl appearance. 9. Jacksonville Fred Taylor RB Active Comment: Still going strong after 10,715 yards and 61 TDs. 10. Baltimore Duane Starks CB Retired Comment: Interception return for a TD helped Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV. 11. Philadelphia Tra Thomas OT Active Comment: Pro Bowl tackle anchors left side of Eagles' line. 12. Atlanta Keith Brooking OLB Active Comment: Pro Bowl linebacker hasn't missed a start in past seven seasons. 13. Cincinnati Takeo Spikes OLB Unsigned Comment: Injuries have prevented Spikes from maintaining Pro Bowl form. 14. Carolina Jason Peter DE Retired Comment: Neck issues forced him to retire after four seasons and 20 starts. 15. Seattle Anthony Simmons OLB Retired Comment: Never lived up to potential as part of underachieving defenses. 16. Tennessee Kevin Dyson WR Retired Comment: Played in a Super Bowl, but never exceeded 825 yards in a season. 17. Cincinnati Brian Simmons OLB Free agent Comment: Seasons with Bengals, Saints have made for unremarkable career. 18. New England Robert Edwards RB CFL Comment: Has spent time in CFL after blowing out knee in rookie game at Pro Bowl. 19. Green Bay Vonnie Holliday DE Active Comment: Solid starter has 51½ sacks for Packers, Chiefs and Dolphins. 20. Detroit Terry Fair CB Retired Comment: Started 48 games for Lions, but hasn't been a factor since 2001. 21. Minnesota Randy Moss WR Active Comment: Has posted seven seasons with at least 1,200 yards receiving. 22. New England Tebucky Jones FS Retired Comment: Won Super Bowl with Patriots, but never validated first-round status. 23. Oakland Mo Collins G Retired Comment: Helped Raiders reach Super Bowl, but career shortened by injuries. 24. N.Y. Giants Shaun Williams SS Retired Comment: Started four consecutive seasons for Giants before knee injuries intervened. 25. Jacksonville Donovin Darius SS Free agent Comment: Productive starter teamed with Deon Grant to anchor Jags' secondary. 26. Pittsburgh Alan Faneca G Active Comment: Pro Bowl guard signed massive free-agent deal with Jets last month. 27. Kansas City Victor Riley OT Retired Comment: Started 93 of 111 games played before retiring after 2005 season. 28. San Francisco R.W. McQuarters CB Active Comment: Versatile if unspectacular, McQuarters helped Giants to Super Bowl XLII victory. 29. Miami John Avery RB CFL Comment: Set Dolphins records as a rookie, but has made his mark in XFL, CFL. 30. Denver Marcus Nash WR AFL Comment: Won Super Bowls with Broncos, Ravens before settling in the AFL. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:32:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233454 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/233454 The Miami Dolphins' website is reporting that Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas (concussion) and safety Donovin Darius (calf) have been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Jets. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:25:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28061 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28061 There's your answer to Yeremiah Bell going down. Phins sign two. Lamont Thompson and Donovin Darius. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:31:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/26807 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/26807 This is my list of the 20 best safeties in the league. I had a hard time on 10-20, but I put the best up, I think. 1. Troy Polamalu 2. Ed Reed 3. Brian Dawkins 4. Bob Sanders 5. Roy Williams 6. John Lynch 7. Sean Taylor 8. Adrian Wilson 9. Darren Sharper 10. Rodney Harrison 11.Chris Hope 12. Nick Ferguson 13. Danieal Manning 14. Mike Doss 15. Lawyer Milloy 16. Michael Boulware 17. Mike Brown 18. Pat Watkins 19. Adam Archuleta 20. Donovin Darius Honorables: Dexter Jackson, Sammy Knight, Antoine Bethea, Jordan Babineaux Not Proven Yet: Brandon Meriweather, LaRon Landry, and Reggie Nelson Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:22:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23862 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23862 Donovin Darius signs with the Raiders... Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:30:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/19386 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/19386 The Oakland Raiders signed saftey Donovin Darius, adding to the already legit secondary. Darius should step in and compete for playing time with Stuart Schweigert and bolster one of the top rated defenses in the league. The 32 year old former Jaguar said, "This is an organization that I feel is heading in the right direction with the new coaching staff and the players, I am very optimistic about the change that is taking place within the team." The only real question mark with Darius has to be health. He has been prone to injury, experiencing both a torn ligament in his knee and a broken leg. Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:48:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/19381 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/19381 Our organized team activities just ended and now we head into a few weeks off before camp. I know it has been a while since I've blogged and I apologize to all my readers I have been so focused on learning the defense I had completely lost touch, but now things have slowed down for me I have great news. Our practices have been a blast and I really have picked up on a lot of things and our coaching staff is extremely excited. However, with this excitement there is some sad news with the release of Donovin Darius. When the news hit our team yesterday morning everyone was shocked. Double D was a role model on and off the field. He was a guy that helped me out so much during mini-camps, I owe so much to him for my progression to this point. Double is a guy every team wished they had in their lockeroom. Although I only spent a few weeks getting to know him I feel he has shown me how to start being a professional. At the same time this reminds you this is a business. Our team lost a valuable asset; I lost a guy I looked up to. Although I am down about the decision to release a guy, I looked so much up to; I can't afford to let up because Coach Del Rio and the staff have placed bigger responsibilities on me now to compete for the starting SS job and help contribute to this team. This was actually a hard compliment to swallow because it made a statement saying the coaching staff believed in me to be player to step up and fill the big shoes left behind in Double D's place. Well to all Jag fans I devote all of my effort to try to fill those shoes to be the guy Donovin was on and off the field in the correct way. Thank you everyone for your continued support! Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:21:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/16535 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/16535 Jaguars safety Donovin Darius was an older player on the squad, so they released him, because they are looking to get a younger secondary, I think the Panthers will be interested, because lets face it, they don't have much depth at Safety at all, and the depth they do have ... sucks.. Darius is big, very physical, and he's worked in a similar defensive system under Del Rio. He's a Roy Williams/Marlon McCree type; very hard hitter but sometimes suspect in coverage (Fox tends to like that kind of safety). Darius wouldn't be a permanent replacement, merely a single year deal, something to keep them satified until they can get back to the market next year. Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:55:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/16288 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/16288 Jacksonville here I come!!!! It has been a long stressful weekend. The draft didn't go as planned in terms of picks, but everything happens for a reason and I am excited to go to a city and team like Jacksonville. The coaching staff is excited to have me as they said they are building their secondary for the future. This is a pick the Jags' fans will be excited about in the future. They are getting a player that can contribute in so many ways. I'm so thrilled to be on a team that is making strides toward the Super Bowl. Camp just can't get here fast enough!!!!!!! Tue, 01 May 2007 13:36:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/13270 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/13270