Summary
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]
| No. 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||
Witherspoon is currently the co-founder and Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter of the NFL Alumni.[2]
Early Life & Education edit
Derrick played high school football and ran track at Sumter High School.
Collegiate Career edit
Witherspoon played football and ran track at Clemson University. He placed 7th overall in the 55 meter dash at the ACC Indoor Championships in 1993.[3]
Professional Career edit
In 1996, during his second year in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, Witherspoon, ran for a total of 1,271 yards[4] as a kick-off returner on special teams and scored two touchdowns. His longest run that season was 97 yards.[5] During the 1996 Philadelphia Eagles Season he was named Special Teams MVP. He was ranked #7 on the Top Ten Eagles kickoff returners of all time list by The Philly Voice in 2022.[6]
Legacy & Awards edit
He was named one of the greatest running backs in the history of the Midlands by SC Varsity[7]
Personal Life edit
Derrick Witherspoon is married and has two sons and a daughter. His daughter, Kalani Witherspoon[8] is a sprinter/track athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
References edit
- ^ He Gets A Kick Out Of Returns On Special Teams, Derrick Witherspoon Has Found His Niche. He Loves The Kickoff-return Role.
- ^ "South Carolina – NFL Alumni". www.nflalumni.org. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ [1] Recap of the 1993 ACC Indoor Championships
- ^ "Derrick Witherspoon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ Derrick Witherspoon NFL game video PT 1. Retrieved 2024-04-16 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Ranking every Eagles kick/punt return man ever". PhillyVoice. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Greatest High School Players In Midlands History". SCVARSITY. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Kalani Witherspoon - Track & Field". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved 2024-04-16.