Darien is a masculine name; variants include Darian and Darion. Darien may refer to:

Places[link]

Panama[link]

Darién Gap, border area between Panama and Colombia

Darién National Park

Darién Province

Gulf of Darién

Santa María la Antigua del Darién, town founded in 1510

United States[link]

Darien, Connecticut

Darien, Georgia

Darien, Illinois

Darien, New York

Darien, Wisconsin

Darien (town), Wisconsin

People[link]

First name[link]

Darien Angadi (1949–1984), British actor

Darien Boswell (born 1938), New Zealand rower

Darien Brockington (born 1979), American singer

Darien Fenton (born 1954), New Zealand politician

Darien Ferrer (born 1983), Cuban volleyball player

Darien Graham-Smith (born 1975), British journalist

Darien Sills-Evans (born 1974), American actor

Darien Habet (born 1992), Belizean A-lister

Surname[link]

Georges Darien (1862–1921), French writer

Fiction[link]

Camila Darién, fictional character in the Mexican television series ''Pasión''

Darien Kjeldor, fictional character in the game ''Magic: The Gathering''

Darien Lambert, fictional character in the television series ''Time Trax''

Darien Maugrim, fictional character in ''The Fionavar Tapestry'' novels by Guy Gavriel Kay

Darien Shields, fictional character in the anime series ''Sailor Moon''

Other uses[link]

Darién, brand of bananas distributed in the U.S. by Turbana (company)

''Darien II'', World War II refugee ship

Darien Pocket Gopher, rodent native to Panama

Darién scheme, attempt by Scotland to establish a colony in Panama in the 1690s

See also[link]

Darian (disambiguation)

Dairen, the Japanese name for Dalian, China

Category:Place name disambiguation pages

de:Darien es:Darién fr:Darien it:Darien lt:Darjenas nl:Darien no:Darien pl:Darien pt:Darien ru:Дарьен vo:Darien

Name	Darren Sproles
Currentteam	New Orleans Saints
Currentnumber	43
Currentpositionplain	Running back / Return specialist
Birth date	June 20, 1983
Birth place	Waterloo, Iowa
Heightft	5
Heightin	6
Weight	190
Debutyear	2005
Debutteam	San Diego Chargers
College	Kansas State
Draftyear	2005
Draftround	4
Draftpick	130
Pastteams	San Diego Chargers (–) New Orleans Saints (-Present)
Status	Active
Highlights	Thomas A. Simone Award (2000) 5th in Heisman voting (2003) 6th most all-purpose yardage in NCAA history Most all-purpose yards in a season, 2,696 (2011) Most all-purpose yardage in a playoff game (2009) San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Statweek	15
Statseason	2011
Statlabel1	Rushing Yards
Statvalue1	1,650
Statlabel2	Rushing Average
Statvalue2	5.1
Statlabel3	Total Return Yards
Statvalue3	8,541
Statlabel4	Total Touchdowns
Statvalue4	29
Nfl	SPR711296 }}

Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983 in Waterloo, Iowa) is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State.

Sproles was named as kick returner for the San Diego Chargers' '50 Greatest Chargers' team. He joined the Saints in free agency before the 2011 season, and broke the NFL record for most single-season all-purpose yardage the same year, with 2,696 yards.

Early years[link]

Sproles attended Rolling Ridge Elementary, then Oregon Trail Junior High, followed by Olathe North High School, all in Olathe, Kansas. He has been conquering a speech impediment he has had since childhood. Sproles was a star in football, earning the name "Tank," after being born at . For two consecutive years, he was an All-Sunflower League honoree, All-Metro honoree, and an All-State selection. Additionally, he was twice named ''The Kansas City Star'' Player of the Year. As a senior, he was named the Kansas Hall of Fame Player of the Year and the ''USA Today'' Kansas Player of the Year. Throughout his high school career, Sproles rushed for 5,230 yards, averaging nearly 8.4 yards per carry and 79 touchdowns.

He was a High school All-American as selected by Student Sports Magazine. He was also the winner of Thomas A. Simone Trophy, given to the top big-class football player in Kansas City metro area. In 1999, he rushed for 2,031 yards in nine games as a junior. In his senior year of 2000, Sproles rushed for 2,485 yards, scoring 49 touchdowns. He led his Olathe North Eagles to a 12–0 record and their fourth Kansas 6A state title in five years.

College career[link]

Sproles played college football at Kansas State University from 2001 to 2004, starting all games in his last two seasons and setting 23 school records. He finished 11th on the all-time college rushing yards list, with the 6th most all-purpose yards in NCAA history. He led all FBS teams in rushing yards in 2003 with 1,986. He also led Kansas State University to its first Big 12 Conference championship in 2003, a win over # 1 ranked Oklahoma, 35–7. That same year he finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting. He graduated with a degree in speech pathology.

Collegiate statistics[link]

6 2002 Kansas State Wildcats football team2003 Kansas State Wildcats football team2004 Kansas State Wildcats football team  

Year !! Team !! Games!! Attempts !! Yards !! YPA !! TDs !! Long
2001 NCAA Division I-A football season	2001	2001 Kansas State Wildcats football team>Kansas State	|	28	210	7.5	1	38
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season	2002	Kansas State ||	13	237	1,465	6.2	17	80
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season	2003	Kansas State ||	15	306	1,986	6.5	16	73
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season	2004	Kansas State ||	11	244	1,318	5.4	11	74
Career	|	45	815	4,979	6.1	45	80

Professional career[link]

San Diego Chargers[link]

Sproles was drafted by the Chargers 130th overall in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

He spent the 2005 season as the third string running back, behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner, returning kicks and punts. He then spent the entire 2006 season on injured reserve list after breaking his ankle during the preseason.

2007[link]

On November 11, 2007, in the Chargers' 23-21 upset over the Indianapolis Colts, Sproles made history by returning a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns—the first player in league history ever to do so. He returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for the game's first score. After Nate Kaeding's field goal increased the Chargers' lead to 10-0, Sproles returned a Hunter Smith punt 46 yards for another touchdown for a 16-0 lead. Sproles became the first NFL player to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game since Dante Hall did so in 2003.

On December 16, 2007, Sproles ran one yard for his first career rushing touchdown against the Detroit Lions. This was followed by an 11 yard run for his second rushing touchdown, capping off his first 100+ yard rushing game.

2008[link]

On September 14, 2008, Sproles became just the second player in NFL history with 50 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, and 100 return yards in one game (the other being Gale Sayers with the Chicago Bears). His stats for the game included: 53 rushing yards, 72 receiving yards, and 192 return yards. Sproles logged 317 all-purpose yards in a 39-38 loss to the Denver Broncos. He also had a 103 yard touchdown return.

On January 3, 2009, during an AFC Wild card game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sproles ran for two touchdowns in place of the injured LaDainian Tomlinson, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat the Colts 23-17. With 105 yards rushing, 45 yards receiving and 178 return yards, Sproles finished the game with 328 all-purpose yards in the Chargers victory over the Colts, the third most all-purpose yards by a player in a single NFL post-season game in NFL history. He was named the NBC Sunday Night Football "Horse Trailer Player of the Game" for the second consecutive week. The week following however, Sproles was stopped by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He managed only 15 yards on 11 carries, but did have 5 receptions for 91 yards including a 62-yard touchdown.

2009-2010[link]

On February 18, 2009, the Chargers placed their franchise tag on Sproles. He signed the tender on April 28, 2009, which is worth $6.621 million.

On March 4, 2010 it was reported that the Chargers will tender Sproles a contract, which will be worth approximately $7.3 million. Another team would have to give the Chargers first- and third-round draft picks if they signed Sproles.

New Orleans Saints[link]

2011-2012[link]

On July 29, 2011, Sproles signed a four year contract worth $14 million with the New Orleans Saints. The contract included $6 million in guaranteed money. He returned a punt for a touchdown in an opening day loss against the Green Bay Packers.

On December 26, 2011, he helped Drew Brees break the single season record for passing yards (5,084), held by Dan Marino since 1984, with a 9 yard touchdown catch on the last offensive play for the Saints in the 4th quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. That pass gave Brees 5,087 yards for the 2011 regular season with one game remaining.

Sproles broke over 1,000 all-purpose yards in only his seventh game as a Saint. Maintaining an average of 168.5 all purpose yards per game Sproles finished the 2011 season with 2,696 all-purpose yards, breaking the NFL single-season record, previously set in 2000 by Derrick Mason (2,690 yards).

Personal[link]

Sproles' father Larry played running back at MidAmerica Nazarene University. Larry was His mother Annette died of cancer in April 2004.

Sproles married his longtime girlfriend, Michel Hunt, this past offseason. The couple has a daughter, Devyn.

Sproles is known by the nickname "Lightning Bug" due to his speed, agility, diminutive stature and the fact the Chargers uniform is adorned with lightning bolts.

Sproles maintains his offseason home in San Diego.

At , Sproles is currently the shortest player in the NFL. Trindon Holliday (selected in 2010 entry draft) stands at , but his contract with the Houston Texans was terminated in October 2011.

References[link]

External links[link]

Chargers profile

ESPN college profile

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:People from Waterloo, Iowa Category:People from Olathe, Kansas Category:Players of American football from Iowa Category:African American players of American football Category:American football return specialists Category:American football running backs Category:Kansas State Wildcats football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:New Orleans Saints players

da:Darren Sproles fr:Darren Sproles it:Darren Sproles

name	Aquille Carr
college	Seton Hall
sport	Basketball
jersey	3
position	Point guard
class	Class of 2013
nickname	Crime Stopper
career start
height ft	5
height in	6
weight lb	148
nationality	American
birth date	September 28, 1993
birth place	Baltimore, Maryland, USA
highschool	Patterson Senior High School
career highlights	57 points in a game
medal templates-expand	}}

Aquille Carr (born 28 September 1993 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American high-school basketball player. As of 2011, he attends Patterson Senior High School, where he plays as a point guard. Carr has been described as one of the most explosive scorers in the United States and is a scouted prospect for the 2013 college recruiting class. In January 2012 he confirmed, via Twitter, his commitment to the Seton Hall University Pirates men's basketball team for the 2013–14 season.

High school career[link]

A native of Baltimore, Carr is known for his small stature, athleticism, and ball-handling abilities. ''The Washington Post'' noted that he is "somewhat generously listed at 5 feet 7, in sneakers, including his hair." As a freshman, he led his Patterson Senior High School team to a 76–62 upset victory over No. 5 Digital Harbor with 20 points, 10 assists, and six steals. For the feat, ''The Baltimore Sun'' named him its Boys Athlete of the Week on December 23, 2009. The following week, Carr received the honor again after he scored 15 of his 38-points in the fourth quarter against defending Class 2A state champions, Baltimore City College. Filling in as the starting point guard, he helped Patterson defeat Josh Selby-led Lake Clifton with 39 points and 19 assists. In his freshman season, he averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 steals.

During his sophomore season, he scored 57 points against Forest Park to win the Big Miller Christmas Classic, 103–71. In that game, he scored seven three-pointers, 12 two-point field goals, and on 12-of-15 free throws, and surpassed his school's single-game scoring record that had stood for 50 years. Carr led his team to a school-best 25–2 record and the Class 4A state championship game, where they incurred their second loss. On the season, he averaged 31.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.5 steals. In his first two years at Patterson, he tallied more than 1,000 points. On April 6, 2011, ESPN named Carr the High School Player of the Week.

He has developed a significant following in his hometown of Baltimore, and ''The Sun'' characterized him as a "must-see phenomenon". Patterson relocated from its small gymnasium to the arena on the Morgan State University campus eight times during the season to hold the large crowds drawn to attend his games. He has received numerous nicknames, the most noted being "The Crime Stopper" for his alleged effect on the city's crime rate. His high school coach, Harry Martin said, "The crime in East Baltimore probably goes down during our games." One of his highlight videos on YouTube had received almost 500,000 views as of March 2011. That video has since received over 3.8 million views.

Italian contract offer[link]

In April 2011, Carr played on the U.S. junior team in the Junior International Tournament in Milan, Italy. He led the team to capture the gold medal and averaged 40.0 points per game. After one game in which he scored 45 points, Italian fans carried him from the court. Shortly after the tournament, the Italian professional basketball club Lottomatica Roma reportedly offered the high school sophomore a $750,000 contract. It was the largest contract ever offered by a European club to a high school player before graduation. According to his coach, Carr plans to finish his high school career at Patterson; however there is some speculation that he will be unable to play his senior year at a Baltimore Public School due to turning 19 years old before the start of the season.

Playing style[link]

Some analysts questioned if his game will translate to the collegiate or professional level because of his diminutive stature. However, he reportedly measures a 48-inch vertical leap, has excellent ball-handling skills, which allow him to create space for his shot, and the athleticism to dunk despite his height. CBS Sports called him "one of the most explosive scorers in the country". ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote, "He has explosive speed, electric ballhandling and court vision that could rival Steve Nash's." ESPN wrote that he is "one of the quickest and [most] explosive players in the country, regardless of class," but noted his inconsistent jump shot and turnovers were areas for improvement. ''The Baltimore Sun'' likened the criticisms to "complaining about the floor mats on a Ferrari."

As of June 2011, ESPN gave Carr a grade of 92 ("Player has the potential to significantly contribute to a high-major program over four years") and ranked him the No. 9 point guard and No. 50 overall player in the 2013 college recruiting class. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 53 overall player in his class. Carr plays with the Under Armour-sponsored Baltimore Elite Amateur Athletic Union team. Carr reported that he had received about 28 scholarship offers before the end of his sophomore year.

References[link]

Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Basketball players from Maryland Category:Point guards Category:Sportspeople from Baltimore, Maryland

name	Darien Brockington
background	solo_singer
birth name	Darien DeWayne Brockington
alias	D-Brock
birth date	September 14
birth place	Washington, D.C., United States
genre	R&B;, Soul
occupation	Singer }}

Darien Brockington is an American singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and actor. Born in Washington, DC and raised in Durham, NC, Brockington was exposed to music early on in life and began singing at the age of 2. He was brought up in a Seventh-Day Adventist Church and sang his first solo at 6 years old. Shortly after that, he started to sing in community/school based functions and talent shows. Darien Brockington began his journey into R&B; while attending North Carolina Central University. There, he met fellow musician, Phonte, one half of the hip hop duo, Little Brother in 2000. In 2003, Brockington was inducted as the first R&B; singer, songwriter in the North Carolina based crew The Justus League. The following year, he collaborated with the then little known hip hop group The Foreign Exchange where he was featured on their first studio album Connected. Also in 2004, Brockington made appearances on Little Brother’s second album, The Minstrel Show and Rapper Big Pooh’s (of Little Brother) solo album, Sleepers. Similar to the way Little Brother became famous, Darien Brockington caught the ear of many fans via the internet with his nine-track EP titled "The Feeling". His EP signalled the beginning of his transformation from local musician into global artist. Before releasing his solo debut album, "Somebody To Love" in 2006, Darien Brockington had the opportunity of work with a host of talented artists, including gospel legend William Becton, hip hop great Pete Rock, singer Jaheim and Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder. Brockington’s talent and compelling stage presence has also seen him tour throughout North America and Europe by himself and also alongside Little Brother. In October 2008, The Foreign Exchange released their second album, Leave It All Behind where Brockington is featured on 3 tracks on the group’s album. Darien made his first appearance in a music video for the track "Take Off The Blues" which was released as a single. Currently, he is on tour with The Foreign Exchange and also is working on his second album, set for release in 2010/2011.

Discography[link]

Album information
	*Released: 2005
	*Released: 2006	*Label: ABB Records
	*Released: 2009

Collaborations[link]

Artist	Album/Year	Song Title
The Foreign Exchange		Come Around
The Foreign Exchange		All That You Are
The Foreign Exchange		Call
	The Minstrel Show (2005)	Slow It Down
	The Minstrel Show (2005)	Not Enough
	The Minstrel Show (2005)	All For You
Rapper Big Pooh	Sleepers (2005)	My Mind
Pete Rock	Soul Survivor II (2004)	Give It To Ya
	The Chitlin Circuit (2005)	Nobody Like Me
Symbolic One & Illmind	The Art Of One Mind (2005)	Night Like This
U.City (previously United Soul)	Reservations (2005)	Good Days
	Separate But Equal (2006)	I Need You
	Separate But Equal (2006)	Candy
Total Science	Soul Patrol (2006)	Wasting Time
Grown Folks	Child's Play (2006)	Night For Love
Kenn Starr	Starr Status (2006)	Carry On
Nicolay	Here (2006)	I Love The Way You Love
Strange Fruit Project	The Healing (2006)	God Is
Completion	Freedom's Journal (2007)	We’re On Our Way
	Training Day (2007)	Sum Of Me
4hero	Play With The Changes (2007)	Give In
	Getback (2007)	Two Step Blues
Chaundon	Carnage (2008)	Don’t Take It Personal
Chaundon	Carnage (2008)	Understanding
	And Justus For All (2008)	Fan Mail
Strange Fruit Project/S1	Music Box (2008)	Tired
Zo! & Tigallo	Zo! & Tigallo Love The 80s (2008)	Something About You
Zo! & Tigallo	Zo! & Tigallo Love The 80s (2008)	Written All Over Your Face
The Foreign Exchange		Take Off The Blues
The Foreign Exchange		All Or Nothing (Coming Home To You)
The Foreign Exchange		Something To Behold
Rapper Big Pooh	Delightful Bars (2009)	Move
Yoshi	The Talent Show (2009)	Magnetic

External links[link]

Darien Brockington Official Website

Darien Brockington Official MySpace

Darien Brockington Official Facebook Group

Darien Brockington Official YouTube Channel

Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American male singers Category:African American musicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people