David Durden
American football player (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John David Durden II (born December 26, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Mercer before transferring to West Florida. He also played minor league baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Twin City, Georgia, U.S.
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 26, 1998 Twin City, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Emanuel County Institute (Twin City, Georgia) |
| College | Mercer (2018–2019) West Florida (2020–2022) |
| NFL draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life and baseball career
Durden grew up in Midville, Georgia and attended the Emanuel County Institute. He committed to play college football at Mercer.[1]
Durden was selected in the 20th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox.[2] He signed with the team and received a $125,000 bonus to forgo his commitment to Mercer.[3] Durden was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox and batted .220 in 91 at-bats. After the season, he retired from baseball in order to pursue playing college football.[4]
College career
Durden enrolled at Mercer prior to the beginning of the 2018 season.[5] He caught 18 passes for 407 yards with five touchdowns as a freshman.[6] Durden had 45 receptions for 647 yards and four touchdowns and returned 29 kickoffs for 750 yards during his sophomore season and was named first-team All-Southern Conference as a returner.[7]
Durden transferred to West Florida after his sophomore year.[7] Durden's first season at West Florida was canceled due to Covid-19.[8] Durden was named first-team All-Gulf South Conference (GSC) after catching 34 passes for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns.[9] Durden repeated as a first-team All-GSC selection as a senior after recording 54 receptions for 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns.[10]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | 30+3⁄8 in (0.77 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.45 s | 1.55 s | 2.44 s | 4.21 s | 7.00 s | 37.0 in (0.94 m) | 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Dallas Cowboys
Durden was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft.[13][14] Durden suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on August 23,[15] and was placed on injured reserve on August 29, causing him to miss the entirety of the season.[16]
Durden was waived by the Cowboys with an injury designation on August 26, 2024.[17]
Arlington Renegades
On December 20, 2024, Durden signed with the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL).[18] He was released on April 28, 2025.[19]
BC Lions
On May 5, 2025, Durden signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[20] He was released on May 21, 2025.[21]