The average NFL career is about four years long, so any player who completes a decade in the league has an excellent career.
Former FSU 2012 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 National Champion Ronald Darby announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday.
Darby was the No. 50 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, selected in the second round by the Buffalo Bills. He was a member of the 2015 PFWA-All-Rookie team and won a Super Bowl in 2018 when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
He was a world-class sprinter in his youth, which served him well as a defensive back, logging a 4.38 forty time at the NFL Combine. He ranked as a top-six or seven defensive back in his draft class. He hailed from the DMV area, where FSU football used to have a stronghold in recruiting.
Darby played in 108 career regular-season games with 98 starts and started six in the post-season. He finished with eight career interceptions, and 99 passes defended.
Related Story: Underrated at each position on 2025 FSU football team
Darby finished his NFL career earning nearly 40 million dollars. Darby played for the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Defensive backs in the NFL have a high turnover rate and don't last too long because speed and acceleration are their most valuable asset. Once they reach 30 years old, that's usually about when the tank empties in maintaining those attributes to play at a high level.
Darby turned 31 years old in January, so it's no surprise he's calling it a career. He did an excellent job of maintaining the "DBU" mantra held by defensive backs drafted from Florida State and was the first of two drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft (P.J. Williams in the third round).
We wish him nothing but success in his post-NFL career.