No. 92, 99 | |||||||
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Position: | Defensive end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Riverside, California, U.S. | May 23, 1974||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | John W. North (Riverside) | ||||||
College: | California | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Duane Anthony Clemons [1] (born May 23, 1974 [2] ) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) between 1996 and 2005. [3] He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft . [4]
He finished his NFL career with 49.5 sacks. Despite struggling to see the field as a starter (16 starts in 4 years with Minnesota), Clemons proved a very capable sack artist. In 1997, he finished with 7.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 24 tackles. In 1999, he finished with a career-best 9.0 sacks and 36 tackles.
On November 10, 1999, Clemons was fined $7,500 for intentionally punching Flozell Adams in the testes [5] following an interception two days earlier during a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. [6] While Adams maintained that he didn't know why Clemons punched him, Clemons stated that he threw the punch because Adams illegally took him down from behind on an interception return. [7]
In 2000, he went to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he finished with 7.5 sacks and a career-best 56 tackles. The next year, 2001, he finished with 7.0 sacks and 48 tackles. In 2003, he found himself with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he recorded 6.0 sacks, a career-best 4 pass deflections, and 42 tackles. In 2004, he finished with 6.5 sacks and 49 tackles.
On September 8, 2008, Clemons signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League [8] and was assigned to their practice roster, but was released by the team on September 15, 2008. [9] He is currently the defensive line coach for the MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneers.
Darren Ray Woodson is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2003. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft with the 37th overall pick.
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
Zachary Michael Thomas is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick, in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Kevin Williams is an American former football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings ninth overall in the 2003 NFL draft.
DeMarcus Omar Ware is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Troy Trojans and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. After spending nine seasons with the Cowboys, Ware departed in 2013 as the franchise's all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 117. Ware then played three seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. After the 2016 season with the Broncos, he announced his retirement from the NFL. In 2017, he signed a one-day contract with Dallas to retire as a Cowboy. In 2018, the Broncos hired Ware as a pass-rush consultant. In 2023, Ware was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Justin Lee Tuck is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft, winning two Super Bowl titles with the team, both against the New England Patriots. He also played for the Oakland Raiders. Tuck graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business with an MBA in 2018. He is now an employee of Goldman Sachs.
Mathias Kagimu Kiwanuka is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected 32nd overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, beating the New England Patriots twice.
Flozell Justin Adams is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft, and also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adams was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
Ken Hamlin is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Hamlin was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft and also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts. He earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Cowboys in 2007. He was also the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the school in tackles, recording 104.
Christopher Clemons is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Clemons also played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gregory B. Blue Jr. is an American college football coach and former player. He is the defensive coordinator for Reinhardt University, a position he has held since 2015. He played college football for the University of Georgia, and earned consensus All-American recognition. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Patrick Watkins is an American former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. He was also a member of the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Florida State University.
Gaines Adams was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football for Clemson University, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears of the NFL. Adams died unexpectedly in 2010 from a previously undetected heart condition.
Martin Allen Harrison is a former American football defensive end who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for the University of Washington. Harrison attended Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington and was a multiple letter winner in both football and track and field. In 1983, when he was 15 years old, he placed sixth in the national AAU Junior Olympics in the decathlon.
Martez Jerome Wilson is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at the University of Illinois.
Donald Smith is an American former gridiron football cornerback in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Memphis Mad Dogs and Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1992 to 2000. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Liberty University.
Kony Montoy Ealy is a gridiron football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Missouri and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Eric-Nathan Marvin Kendricks is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. As a senior in 2014, he won the Butkus Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker. Kendricks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and later played for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Leighton Vander Esch is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos, and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, for whom he spent his entire six-year career.
Donovan Wilson is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M.