'12 MD ATH Ronald Darby (Florida State Signee)

[gkautz10]

While he's fantastic in coverage (and going to get better) he's got a good amount of "Deion" in him for the wrong reason...He can't/avoids tackling. It's pathetic at times.


But dude can ball

So how is that any different that ND's secondary??

 

[Junkhead]

How is he doing at FSU? I check his stats and he has five starts on nine games but he only has three total tackles. They do not throw at his side or simply he is not having huge impact?

Don't many kickers have 4 tackles by now? Nothing against him, but to only be credited with 3 tackles in 5 starts is not great. Maybe he is breaking up passes instead of not turning his head and making the tackle at the 5 yd line?

 

[military_irish]

So how is that any different that ND's secondary??

Darby "intentionally" avoids tackles, the ND secondary actually tries and still misses tackles.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Maybe he is focusing on his track career...

 

[yankeehater]

FSU's Darby dominates without hype

December, 23, 2013
Dec 23

11:00

AM ET


By David M. Hale | ESPN.com



TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Ronald Darby might be a household name if his name was mentioned a bit more often.

The sophomore cornerback is rarely discussed during games. Florida State’s secondary has been dominant all season, but Darby’s work tends to fly beneath the radar. Darby doesn’t show up too often in the box score, either. His 12 tackles are tied for 24th on the team.

The anonymity isn’t a knock on Darby’s talent, though. The problem is, opposing quarterbacks are terrified to test him.

“Sometimes,” Darby said, “I get a little bored.”



[+] EnlargeSammy Watkins, Ronald Darby

AP Photo/Richard Shiro
Sophomore CB Ronald Darby is so good in coverage that opponents rarely test him.Darby has started eight games this season and has been on the field for the vast majority of Florida State’s defensive snaps, but only a handful of balls have come his way.

According to Stats LLC, Darby has been targeted just 22 times this season -- 29 times fewer than Florida State’s other starting corner, P.J. Williams. It’s a casual workload that illustrates the ample respect he receives around the ACC.

“They watch the film,” Lamarcus Joyner said when asked why teams shy away from testing Darby. “You see his size, you see his speed, his strength. He has everything you look for in a cornerback.”

Darby’s natural talent was obvious from his first days in Tallahassee last year. He wowed teammates immediately, and while he didn’t start a game as a true freshman, he was on the field regularly, recording eight pass breakups and 22 tackles en route to freshman All-America honors. He was named the ACC’s freshman defensive player of the year.

But all the momentum from his sterling debut season came to a grinding halt this spring when a groin injury required surgery and kept him on the sidelines well into the start of fall camp. Even once the injury was healed, the effects lingered. Darby’s blazing speed was diminished a tad, and in the early going, he was reluctant to test it.

Even now, nearly a full year after the surgery, Darby says he isn’t quite right.

“I’m still not 100 percent yet,” Darby said. “I’m still trying to get back. ... I got a lot better from the offseason until now. I run a lot better, cut a lot better.”

The improved fundamentals have more than made up for the marginal dip in pure speed.

Of those 22 passes thrown Darby’s way, two were picked off and just seven resulted in completions. According to Stats LLC, that’s the fifth-lowest completion rate allowed by any defensive back from an AQ conference. Of the four players ahead of him, three were first-team all-conference. Darby didn’t even get an honorable mention.

“He’s been locking it down,” safety Terrence Brooks said. “That’s all he can do.”

And if that effort hasn’t been enough to garner much national attention thus far, that could change on Jan. 6, when Florida State takes on Auburn in the VIZIO BCS National Championship. The Tigers don’t throw often, but they’ve got one of the country’s top big-play threats in receiver Sammie Coates.

In fact, Coates and the Auburn offense might be a perfect test for Darby. The Tigers run and run and run, and just when a cornerback appears to be getting a bit bored with the heavy dose of the ground game, the deep ball takes them by surprise. But Florida State just so happens to employ a cornerback who’s used to battling the boredom and pouncing on those rare chances to make a play.

“That’s why I just practice hard really,” Darby said. “So we can be perfect on game day.”

And perfection on the biggest stage might finally earn Darby some of the attention he has deserved all season. Add in a few more weeks for Darby to strengthen that groin injury and rebuild his speed, and Jameis Winston -- Darby’s roommate and practice-field nemesis -- has a good idea of what might be in store.

“I honestly think Darby could be the best cornerback in the country,” Winston said.

 

[Mr. Larson]

Good for Darby, and not to sound butt hurt or anything, but I really don't give a flying fuck about how awesome he is.

 

[NDdomer2]

does kelly have an ego trip next year and attack him with DD all game?

 

[Irish Houstonian]

...According to Stats LLC, Darby has been targeted just 22 times this season -- 29 times fewer than Florida State’s other starting corner, P.J. Williams. It’s a casual workload that illustrates the ample respect he receives around the ACC.

...

Other than Clemson they didn't play any decent, passing teams.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Good for Darby, and not to sound butt hurt or anything, but I really don't give a flying fuck about how awesome he is.

Wasn't he the guy that recorded Winston with his camera and posted it on the internet?

 

[Mr. Larson]

Wasn't he the guy that recorded Winston with his camera and posted it on the internet?

You might have him confused with FSU track star Ronald Darby.

 

[PANDFAN]

does kelly have an ego trip next year and attack him with DD all game?

you mean like in the championship game throwing against milliner all game?

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

you mean like in the championship game throwing against milliner all game?

Eh, I thought Eifert had the better of him for a lot of that game.

 

[ThePiombino]

you mean like in the championship game throwing against milliner all game?

lol this

Eh, I thought Eifert had the better of him for a lot of that game.

Going at him was clearly not the best game plan.

 

[GBdomer]

I wish this kid was at ND. He is easily the best CB in college football

 

[NDdomer2]

I wish this kid was at ND. He is easily the best CB in college football

are you excluding this years draft class?

 

[PANDFAN]

Eh, I thought Eifert had the better of him for a lot of that game.

T. Eifert 6 61 10.2 0 16

milliner wasn't on him constantly, but milliner blanketed our wr's, caused an int and they must have said about 100x's during the game that they couldn't understand us targeting him, it was that obvious...

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

T. Eifert 6 61 10.2 0 16

milliner wasn't on him constantly, but milliner blanketed our wr's, caused an int and they must have said about 100x's during the game that they couldn't understand us targeting him, it was that obvious...

There was also the BS call where Eifert high pointed the ball and nabbed it over Millner for 20+ that was called back. Either way it's not like there were many good choices of people to throw to. I'm probably also doing some revisionism based on Millner's poor performance on my Jets so far.

 

[PANDFAN]

Eh, I thought Eifert had the better of him for a lot of that game.

There was also the BS call where Eifert high pointed the ball and nabbed it over Millner for 20+ that was called back. Either way it's not like there were many good choices of people to throw to. I'm probably also doing some revisionism based on Millner's poor performance on my Jets so far.

+1, but i think it is more of the latter

 

[tadman95]

I always thought going after Millner was a calculated risk to punch them in the mouth early, to create a little doubt and force Alabama to play the run a little less aggressively. Certainly Eifert had the physical advantage and a few completions on Millner would have set a different tone by our offense.

I could be wrong of course but the early pass that got called back made me think we were going after their strength. We were going to have to get them on their heels to have any real chance, get to the 4th quarter in striking distance and let the chips fall where they may.

Back to Darby, he's going to be great. I don't know if I ever saw a clear reason for him jumping ship. Don't remember anything being posted other that opinion, did he ever offer an explanation besides track?

 

[ThePiombino]

I always thought going after Millner was a calculated risk to punch them in the mouth early, to create a little doubt and force Alabama to play the run a little less aggressively. Certainly Eifert had the physical advantage and a few completions on Millner would have set a different tone by our offense.

I could be wrong of course but the early pass that got called back made me think we were going after their strength. We were going to have to get them on their heels to have any real chance, get to the 4th quarter in striking distance and let the chips fall where they may.

Back to Darby, he's going to be great. I don't know if I ever saw a clear reason for him jumping ship. Don't remember anything being posted other that opinion, did he ever offer an explanation besides track?

Rumors of a communication breakdown between he and coaches, possibly because they were going after other CBs. Of course, some will tell you they were going after other CBs because they felt Darby was a flight risk...

 

[Irishman77]

Anyone else wanna puke seeing Darby projected at 6th overall in the 15 draft?

WalterFootball.com: 2015 NFL Mock Draft - Charlie Campbell

 

[GoIrish41]

Anyone else wanna puke seeing Darby projected at 6th overall in the 15 draft?

WalterFootball.com: 2015 NFL Mock Draft - Charlie Campbell

This draft is dumb. Does anyone really believe that Mariota is going to get drafted before Winston? Does anyone think the Eagles are going to be so bad this year that they are picking 9th?

 

[anarin]

This draft is dumb. Does anyone really believe that Mariota is going to get drafted before Winston? Does anyone think the Eagles are going to be so bad this year that they are picking 9th?

Sorry to break the news bro... but the eagles suck

 

[NDPhilly]

Sorry to break the news bro... but the eagles suck

Whatever

 

[GoIrish41]

Sorry to break the news bro... but the eagles suck

They were a playoff team this year. They aren't picking 9th next year.

 

[Wild Bill]

They were a playoff team this year. They aren't picking 9th next year.

Falcons had the best record in the nfc in 2012. They're picking sixth.

 

[irishroo]

Falcons had the best record in the nfc in 2012. They're picking sixth.

Not to mention Houston, Washington, and Minnesota

 

[anarin]

Whatever

haha!

 

[ResLife Hero]

FSU cleared Winston, but Darby and Casher could be in hotter water:
FSU Investigates Jameis Winston, Charges 2 Teammates In Rape Case

 

[woolybug25]

So what did Darby do specifically? Just watch?

I thought he was the person that recorded it, but that seems to be Casher. If schools start expelling students because they watched their friend bang a coed, then there should be a lot more expelled students.