NoteCARDS:
- With three sacks in Super Bowl XLIII against the Steelers, he tied the NFL record for sacks in a Super Bowl (Reggie White).
- Has started every game the last four years for the Cardinals and has an ongoing streak of 65 consecutive starts, the team's longest active streak.
- Selected to his first career Pro Bowl in 2007 after his 9.0 sacks led all NFL interior linemen.
- The Cardinals third round pick in 2004, Dockett has started 79 of 80 games in his first five seasons in the NFL.
- Has displayed a nose for the ball, notching three INTs in his first five seasons as well as eight fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.
- Signed a five-year contract extension on 10/13/06 that will keep him under contract with the Cardinals through 2011.
Pro Career:
Dockett emerged as a 15-game starter for the Cardinals in his rookie season and his current run of 65 consecutive starts is the longest active streak on the team. The Cardinals third round draft choice (64th overall) in 2004, Dockett was named to the All-Rookie team in 2004 by Pro Football Weekly and was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2007 season; he was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2008.
2008: For the fourth straight season started all 16 games played as well as all four postseason contests ... registered a team-high 13 quarterback hits and led all defensive lineman with 55 tackles and a career-best three fumble recoveries (tied for 2nd most in the NFC) during the regular season … started at defensive tackle and registered a forced fumble of 49ers FB Zak Keasey in season opener @ SF (9/7) ... tied for lead among defensive lineman with four tackles, one quarterback pressure and one sack of QB Brett Favre on third down to force a missed FG @ NYJ (9/28) ... was in the Cowboys backfield frequently recording five tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one quarterback sack, one quarterback pressure and two quarterback hits vs. Dal (10/12) ... led team with three quarterback hits and one fumble recovery that resulted in a FG on the ensuing drive to put the Cards up 19-7 in the third quarter @ Sea (11/16); surpassed 250 career tackles; member of defense that allowed a season-low 43 yards rushing on 22 carries ... scored the first TD of his career when he returned a RB Steven Jackson fumble 11 yards to put Arizona up 27-7 in the 3rd quarter vs. StL (12/7); marked 3rd recovered fumble of the season, a new career-high ... led the defensive line with a season-high eight tackles, one quarterback hit and one sack vs. Min (12/14) ... started first career playoff game and forced a fumble by reaching in to force a botched exchange between QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner that was returned 27 yards for a TD by Antrel Rolle and put the Cardinals up 21-17 early in the third quarter vs. Atl (1/3/09); part of defense that held the Falcons, the second best rushing team in the NFL during the regular season with 152.7 yards per game average, to just 60 yards on 24 carries (2.5 avg.) ... registered playoff best three tackles @ Car (1/10/09); for second straight week was part of a defense that held one of the NFL's top three rushing attacks during the regular season to under half of their season average, giving up only 75 yards to a Panthers team that averaged 152.3 ypg. ... recovered a fumble to end the game vs. Phi (1/18/09) ... made team-high 69th straight start and tied the Super Bowl record with three sacks vs. Pit (2/1/09); feat was only achieved by DE Reggie White vs. New England in Super Bowl XXXI.
2007: A Pro Bowl selection, started all 16 games for third straight year while recording nine sacks which led NFL interior defensive linemen; led or tied for lead in tackles among Arizona defensive lineman in 11 of 16 games in 2007 … led defensive line with six tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss in season opener @ SF (9/10) … for second straight week led d-line with five tackles while also recovering the fumble that led to the Neil Rackers game winning 42-yard field goal in the home opener vs. Sea (9/16) … tallied 1.5 sacks, one quarterback pressure and forced Steve McNair to fumble, leading to a Rackers field goal @ Bal (9/23) … led team with career-high 2.5 sacks and eight unassisted tackles (nine total) tied for second highest single-game total in career vs. Pit (9/30); his 2.5 sacks gave him 5.0 sacks through the first four games while his previous season-high was 3.5 in his rookie year of 2004 … recorded one sack and two quarterback hits vs. Car (10/14) … led defensive line with 10 tackles and career-high nine unassisted tackles as well as two sacks and three quarterback pressures @ TB (11/4) … recorded three quarterback hits and recovered a Jon Kitna fumble at the end of the third quarter that would lead to a Cards TD to make it 31-14 vs. Det (11/11); helped hold Lions to -18 rushing yards, the lowest total in the modern era … recorded one quarterback pressure, one quarterback hit and one sack vs. StL (12/30) to give him nine sacks on the season.
2006: Was a 16-game starter for the second consecutive season … recovered a TE Vernon Davis fumble in the first quarter of the season opener vs. SF (9/10) which set up a TD that gave the Cards a 21-7 lead … had a career and game-high 12 tackles @ Sea (9/17); sacked Matt Hasselbeck on the first snap of the game, his fifth career sack, and added a tackle for loss @ Sea (9/17) … paced all defensive lineman with five tackles, including one for a loss vs. StL (9/24) while helping to hold RB Steven Jackson to a 2.6 yard rushing average … signed a five-year contract extension on 10/13 that will keep him under contract with the Cardinals through 2011… had an outstanding performance vs. Chi (10/16) on Monday Night Football, recording three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery while helping to hold the Bears to 34 yards rushing … paced the defensive line for the fifth time in '06 with a solid effort vs. Sea (12/10) when he totaled seven tackles, one tackle for a loss and a Matt Hasselbeck sack which forced a fumble recovered by the Cardinals … had one pass defensed, two QB pressures and two QB hits, while part of a defensive line that limited RB Frank Gore, the NFC's leading rusher, to just 51 yards rushing @ SF (12/24).
2005: Started all 16 games at under tackle … recorded both a sack and an interception of QB Marc Bulger in the home opener vs. StL (9/18); picked off Bulger on a fumbled exchange between Bulger and Steven Jackson and sacked him to end the first half … recorded five solo stops including one for a loss and split a sack of QB Billy Volek with DE Chike Okeafor vs. Ten (10/23) … recorded four tackles and forced a fumble @ SF (12/4) … recorded four tackles vs. Was (12/11) and @ Hou (12/18) … recorded seven tackles and a pass defensed vs. Phi (12/24).
2004: Started every game but one (@ Sea 12/26) at under tackle … recorded his first career start in his NFL debut @ StL (9/12) while notching two solo tackles … led the team in total tackles with seven @ Atl (9/26), also recorded a forced fumble when he stopped Falcons RB Warrick Dunn on the Atlanta 17-yard line … tallied four tackles, and his first career sack against San Francisco QB Tim Rattay @ SF (10/10) … recorded his second sack of the season on Dolphins QB Jay Fiedler @ Mia (11/7); on third-and-goal from the Arizona four yard-line, sacked Fiedler for a loss of seven yards which forced the Dolphins to kick a field goal; finished the game with two tackles and a QB pressure … recorded five tackles and one QB hit @ Car (11/21) …recorded two tackles and added a half sack and one QB pressure vs. NYJ (11/28) … had a career day in the 2004 season finale vs. TB (1/2) recording two tackles for loss, a sack of QB Chris Simms, one interception which he returned 20 yards, even as his helmet was pulled off by a Buccaneer; also recorded a fumble recovery of a botched snap by Chris Simms in the third quarter which set up a Cardinals field goal attempt; became only the third rookie in NFL history to record a sack, interception and defensive fumble recovery in the same game, Ray Farmer did it for the Eagles on 12/1/96 (vs. Giants) and Aundray Bruce did it for the Falcons on 11/20/88 (vs. Raiders).
College:
Atlantic Coast Conference 2003 defensive player-of-the-year at Florida State … started 47 of 49 games for the Seminoles, recording 247 tackles (123 solos), 10.5 quarterback sacks for minus 67 yards, 64 stops for losses of 196 yards, 68 quarterback pressures, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery … 64 tackles behind the line of scrimmage shattered the previous school career record of 44 by Ron Simmons (1977–80).
Personal:
Full name Darnell Maurice Dockett … regarded by many as the top defensive end in the nation while at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, MD … USA Today prep All-America selection with 171 tackles (109 solos), 15 sacks, two caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and three blocked punts in his senior season ... set a school record with 47 sacks in his career at Paint Branch … political science major at Florida State.