Derrick Witherspoon
| No. 31 | |||||||
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| Position: | Running back / Return specialist | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | February 14, 1971 Sumter, South Carolina | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Sumter (SC) | ||||||
| College: | Clemson | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 1994 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Derrick Leon Witherspoon (born February 14, 1971) is a former American football and Canadian football running back and return specialist in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played in the CFL for the Shreveport Pirates and the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Clemson.[1]
Witherspoon is currently the co-founder and Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter of the NFL Alumni.
Early Life & Education
Derrick played high school football and ran track at Sumter High School. Witherspoon was the #3 running back recruit in the state out of high school in 1990.
Collegiate Career
Witherspoon was a two sport letter winner in football and track at Clemson University.
Professional Career
In 1996, during his second year in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, Witherspoon, ran for a total of 1,271 yards as a kick-off returner on special teams and scored two touchdowns. His longest run that season was 97 yards. The Eagles named him Special Teams MVP in 1996.
Legacy & Awards
He was named one of the greatest running backs in the history of the Midlands by SC Varsity
Personal Life
Derrick Witherspoon is married to Kolowa Shaw, and has two sons and a daughter. His daughter, Kalani Witherspoon is a standout track athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.