Darren Waller
Darren Charles Waller (born September 13, 1992)[1] is an American football tight end for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft.[1][2][3] He is the great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist Fats Waller.[1]
No. 12 – New York Giants
September 13, 1992
Landover, Maryland, U.S.
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
Georgia Tech (2011–2014)
2015 / Round: 6 / Pick: 204
Active
350
350
4,124
20
Early years[edit]
Darren Waller was born in Landover, Maryland, to Dorian and Charlena Waller.[1] He has a sister, Deanna. He was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Marietta, Georgia, and Acworth, Georgia.[1][4] He produces hip-hop music in his spare time.[5]
Personal life[edit]
Waller began abusing oxycodone at 15 years old and drinking alcohol at 16 years old. His oxycodone addiction escalated to the point that he was eventually spending $100 per day on pills. Later in life, he began using "a lot of" cocaine.[57] On August 11, 2017, in Maryland, he overdosed on pills while sitting in his parked Jeep.[57][58] After spending 34 days in a substance abuse rehabilitation program in Camden, Maine, he took a job stocking shelves at a Sprouts Farmers Market.[57]
Waller founded the Darren Waller Foundation in 2020 to "equip youth to avoid and overcome addiction to drugs and alcohol and support youth and their families during their recovery and treatment journey."[59]
On March 4, 2023, Waller married Las Vegas Aces point guard Kelsey Plum.[60] Waller and Plum filed for divorce on April 23, 2024, after one year of marriage.[61][62]