Donald Driver
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No. 80
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| Wide receiver | |||||||||
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Personal information
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| Date of birth: February 2, 1975 | |||||||||
| Place of birth: Houston, Texas | |||||||||
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Career information
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| High school: Houston (TX) Milby | |||||||||
| College: Alcorn State | |||||||||
| NFL Draft: 1999 / Round: 7 / Pick: 213 | |||||||||
| Debuted in 1999 for the Green Bay Packers | |||||||||
| Last played in 2012 for the Green Bay Packers | |||||||||
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Career history
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Career highlights and awards
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Career NFL statistics as of 2012
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Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a retired American football wide receiver who spent his entire 14-year career playing for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Alcorn State University. Driver was picked by the Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and played his entire NFL career for the Packers. Driver is also an author of children's books, and won the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars.
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Early life[edit]
Donald Jerome Driver was born in Houston, TX on February 2, 1975. Driver was the middle child of five siblings. Donald had a tough childhood living out of a U-Haul truck for a period of time during his early teens, after a collection agency confiscated his family's possessions. Donald spent multiple nights in motel rooms that his mother, Faye Gray, purchased with food stamps. At the age of 14 years old, Donald would move in with his grandmother, Betty Lofton.
Donald Driver shone as an athlete early in his years at Milby High in Houston. He lettered four times each in track, football, basketball and baseball. Donald was a Texas All-State honorable mention in Football, where he played at the wide receiver, defensive back, and kickoff return positions.
College career[edit]
Donald Driver attended Alcorn State University in Mississippi, where he lettered in both football and track & field. He finished his college football career there with 88 receptions for 1993 yards (19.69 Yards Per Catch). Driver is one of the most decorated track athletes in the NFL (he is an Olympic class high jumper, being able to jump 7 feet 6 inches[2] and could have qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics team). He was a five-time "Athlete of the Year" in his conference for his track and football prowess.
Driver is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[3]
Professional career[edit]
Donald Driver was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He spent his entire career with the Packers.
Green Bay Packers (1999-2012)[edit]
Known as one of the most consistent wide receivers in the game,[4] Driver has been solid throughout his career, often posting 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Driver had the most catches in the NFL in the middle of the field in 2006. He set a career best for yards on November 12, 2006 when he caught six passes for 191 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.[5] Driver finished the 2006 season in the top five of the league in reception yardage with 1,295 yards.[6] He also recorded the most receptions in his career with 92 of them, earning a spot in the 2007 Pro Bowl.
On December 16, 2007 during a 33-14 victory over the St. Louis Rams, veteran Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre broke Dan Marino's all-time record mark of 61,361 career passing yards. The new record came on a seven-yard completion to Driver.[7] Driver was selected for the 2008 Pro Bowl.
In the NFC Championship game on January 20, 2008 against the New York Giants, Driver had the longest play in the playoffs of the Packers' franchise history with a 90-yard TD catch from Favre.[8]
On October 18, 2009, Donald Driver became the Green Bay Packers' all-time leading receiver in catches, with 596. He went on to catch six more balls for 107 yards in a 26-0 home victory over the Detroit Lions. On September 8, 2011, Driver caught four balls for 41 yards in the opening game against the New Orleans Saints and was only one yard short of becoming the Packers' all-time leader in receiving yards. Driver finally broke the Packers' all-time receiving yardage record on September 18, 2011 against the Carolina Panthers after he caught a 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, surpassing James Lofton.
On February 6, 2011, Driver was injured on his second reception of Super Bowl XLV. Out with an ankle sprain, Driver did return to the game in the end for the final plays as the Packers went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. Driver finished Super Bowl XLV with two receptions for 28 yards. Despite losing playing time to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Driver has been a veteran presence for a young Packers receiving corps led by reigning NFL MVP QB Aaron Rodgers.
On January 31, 2013, Driver announced his retirement on ESPN2 Mike and Mike in the Morning after spending his entire career (14 seasons) with the Green Bay Packers.[9]
On February 6, 2013, the Green Bay Packers hosted a public retirement ceremony for Donald Driver. This was the first public retirement ceremony ever held for a Green Bay Packers player. It was held in the Lambeau Field Atrium with comments made by Mark Murphy, Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and of course Donald. Hundreds of fans were in attendance. Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt presented Driver with a key to the city. More significantly, Schmitt also announced that the famous receiver statue that used to reside in front of the old Packers Hall of Fame and is now in front of the downtown Titletown Brewing Co. restaurant will be refurbished, with the receiver wearing a No. 80 Driver jersey. The street leading to the statue and restaurant will also be renamed “Donald Driver Way.”[10]
Driver only missed four games in his career, the last one being November 18, 2012.[11]
Career statistics[edit]
Regular season[edit]
Source: [2]
| Season | Team | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | TDs |
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| 1999 | Green Bay Packers | 6 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 12 | 1 |
| 2000 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 21 | 322 | 15.3 | 49 | 1 |
| 2001 | Green Bay Packers | 13 | 13 | 167 | 12.8 | 37 | 1 |
| 2002 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 70 | 1,064 | 15.2 | 85 | 9 |
| 2003 | Green Bay Packers | 15 | 52 | 621 | 11.9 | 41 | 2 |
| 2004 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 84 | 1,208 | 14.4 | 50 | 9 |
| 2005 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 86 | 1,221 | 14.2 | 59 | 5 |
| 2006 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 92 | 1,295 | 14.1 | 82 | 8 |
| 2007 | Green Bay Packers | 15 | 82 | 1,048 | 12.8 | 47 | 2 |
| 2008 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 74 | 1,012 | 13.7 | 71 | 5 |
| 2009 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 70 | 1,061 | 15.2 | 71 | 6 |
| 2010 | Green Bay Packers | 15 | 51 | 565 | 11.1 | 61 | 4 |
| 2011 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 37 | 445 | 12.0 | 35 | 6 |
| 2012 | Green Bay Packers | 13 | 8 | 77 | 9.6 | 26 | 2 |
| Total | 205 | 743 | 10,137 | 13.6 | 85 | 61 |
Playoffs[edit]
Source: [3]
| Season | Team | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2002 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 25 | 1 |
| 2003 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | 8 | 91 | 11.4 | 23 | 0 |
| 2004 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 7 | 78 | 11.1 | 16 | 0 |
| 2007 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | 8 | 159 | 19.9 | 90 | 1 |
| 2009 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 28 | 0 |
| 2010 | Green Bay Packers | 4 | 14 | 169 | 12.1 | 24 | 0 |
| 2011 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 16 | 1 |
| Total | 14 | 49 | 675 | 13.8 | 90 | 3 |
Personal life[edit]
Since 2004, Driver has co-hosted the statewide Packer analysis television series Inside the Huddle with Donald Driver with WLUK-TV's sports director Drew Smith. Every Tuesday Donald talks football with John Mercure on Wisconsin's Afternoon News with John Mercure on AM 620 WTMJ. He previously served as host to the annual Offense vs. Defense softball game featuring members of the Green Bay Packers.
As a well-known athlete in the state of Wisconsin, Driver has been featured in marketing campaigns for companies such as McDonald's, AirTran Airways, Kwik Trip, Goodwill, Jani-King and Time Warner Cable.
Throughout his career, Donald Driver has been very active off the field, making over 300 charitable appearances since his rookie season in 1999. In the spring of 2001, Donald and his wife Betina created the “Donald Driver Foundation”, which offers assistance to ill children with unmanageable hospital bills, provides housing for the homeless, and donates to a variety of local charities. In December 2003, the foundation put two previously homeless families in new, fully furnished homes.
Donald has also donated much of his time and efforts to such institutions as Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Goodwill Industries. In 2001, Driver was awarded the “Community Service Award” by the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his outstanding community involvement. In 2005 he was awarded the Ed Block Courage award by his Green Bay teammates.
Driver is also the author of three children's books, Quickie Handles a Loss, Quickie Makes the Team, and Quickie Goes to the Big Game. The books are based on Driver's bedtime storytelling to his three children, and are sold statewide in Wisconsin through bookstores, participating Goodwill locations, the Packer Pro Shop and on his website. He has stated that "Quickie" is a nickname his mother gave him because, when she would chase him around the house, she could never catch him.
On February 28, 2012 it was announced that Driver would join the cast of Dancing with the Stars for season 14. Driver and professional dance partner Peta Murgatroyd were declared winners on the season finale on May 22, 2012.
References[edit]
- ^ "Donald Driver 80". DonaldDriver80.com. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
- ^ "Packer Draft notes". Packers.com. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Greeks in Professional Football 2007". Greeks in Sports. North-American Interfraternity Conference. Text "accessda" ignored (help)
- ^ Lori Nickel. "Packers' Driver determined to give back". Milwaukee Journal - Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
- ^ Packers - Donald Driver Bio
- ^ NFL 2006 Season Statistics
- ^ "Favre passes Marino; Packers down Rams to clinch bye". TheSportsNetwork.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
- ^ ESPN - NY Giants vs. Green Bay Packers - Recap - January 20, 2008
- ^ http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/From-humble-start-Donald-Driver-retires-in-greatness/c7fe6b9d-e3ca-4009-8482-a14e6665c72b
- ^ http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Donald-Driver-others-share-memories-of-great-career/5c15f70c-6062-421c-b6d0-9963d44b3649
- ^ [1]
www.biography.com/people/donald-driver
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Donald Driver |
- Green Bay Packers bio
- Donald Driver Foundation
- Donald Driver Official Website
- Donald Driver TV Show Website
- Donald Driver: More Than a Game
- [4]
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- 1975 births
- Living people
- African-American players of American football
- Alcorn State Braves football players
- American football wide receivers
- Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series) winners
- Ed Block Courage Award recipients
- Green Bay Packers players
- National Conference Pro Bowl players
- Participants in American reality television series
- Players of American football from Texas
- Sportspeople from Houston, Texas
- Writers from Texas
