Games Played/Started:

2001 (0/0); 2002 (2/0); 2003 (7/0); 2004 (10/4); 2005 (16/4); 2006 (14/2); 2007 (15/0)

Career Totals

64 games, 10 starts

Career Transactions

Originally signed by N.Y. Giants as a free agent on Feb. 6, 2002…Allocated to NFL Europe on Feb. 22, 2002…Waived by N.Y. Giants on Aug. 31, 2003…Signed by N.Y. Giants to the practice squad on Sept. 2, 2003…Signed by N.Y. Giants to the active roster on Nov. 15, 2003…Signed by N.Y. Giants as a free agent on March 5, 2004…Waived by N.Y. Giants on July 28, 2004…Signed by Baltimore to the practice squad on Oct. 2, 2004…Signed by Baltimore to the active roster on Oct. 29, 2004…Signed by Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent on March 19, 2006.

Career Highlights

Five-year NFL veteran has played in 49 games, including 10 starts, during his career with the N.Y. Giants, Baltimore and Cleveland and has totaled 19 receptions for 179 yards and 2 TDs…Scored his first career TD on a 17-yard pass vs. Dallas on Nov. 21, 2004.

2007

Game 1 vs. Pittsburgh 9/9: Played TE with 1 reception for 8 yards…Also played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 2 vs. Cincinnati 9/16: Played TE and appeared on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 3 at Oakland 9/23: Played TE and also appeared on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 4 vs. Baltimore 9/30: Played TE and also appeared on special teams with 2 tackles and 1 forced fumble…Made a key play on special teams in the 2nd quarter with a forced fumble on Ravens’ KR Yamon Figurs at the Baltimore 27-yard line, recovered by LB David McMillan, and 8-plays later RB Jamal Lewis plunged for a 1-yard TD run to open a 24-3 lead…Game 5 at New England 10/7: Played TE and also played on special teams…Game 6 vs. Miami 10/14: Inactive (hand)…Game 7 at St. Louis 10/28: Played on special teams…Added 1 kickoff return for 19 yards…Game 8 vs. Seattle 11/4: Played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 9 at Pittsburgh 11/11: Played on special teams…Game 10 at Baltimore 11/18: Played on special teams…Game 11 vs. Houston 11/25: Played on special teams…Game 12 at Arizona 12/2: Played on special teams…Game 13 at N.Y. Jets 12/9: Played on special teams…Game 14 vs. Buffalo 12/16: Played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 15 at Cincinnati 12/23: Played on special teams…Game 16 vs. San Francisco 12/30: Played on special teams.

2006

In his first season with the Browns, appeared in 14 games, including two starts, and totaled 2 receptions for 14 yards and 1 TD…Contributed as a blocking tight end and also key contributor on special teams with 5 tackles…Made his Browns debut vs. New Orleans on Sept. 10, and played tight end and also on special teams with 1 tackle…Left the game in the 2nd quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return…Inactive (hamstring) at Cincinnati on Sept. 17, and vs. Baltimore on Sept. 24…Returned to the lineup at Oakland on Oct. 1, and added a 3-yard TD reception from QB Charlie Frye in the 2nd quarter…Played tight end and also on special teams at Carolina on Oct. 8, and vs. Denver on Oct. 22…Made his first start vs. N.Y. Jets on Oct. 29, as the offense opened in a three-tight end formation…Played tight end and on special teams at San Diego on Nov. 5, and at Atlanta on Nov. 12…Started at tight end vs. Pittsburgh on Nov. 19, as the Browns opened in a three-tight end formation…Played tight end and on special teams vs. Cincinnati on Nov. 26…Added 1 reception for 11 yards vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3…Played tight end and on special teams at Pittsburgh on Dec. 7…Led the team with 3 special teams tackles at Baltimore on Dec. 17…Played tight end and on special teams vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 24, and in the regular season finale at Houston on Dec. 31.

2005

In his second season with the Ravens, appeared in all 16 games, including four starts, and totaled 55 yards on 6 receptions (9.2 avg.)…Finished with 3 receptions for 30 yards and a season-high long reception of 15 yards against Indianapolis on Sept. 11…Started his first game of the season and caught 2 passes for 14 yards against Tennessee on Sept. 18…Recorded 2 special teams tackles vs. Detroit on Oct. 9…Posted 1 special teams tackle against Chicago on Oct. 23…Caught 1 pass for 11 yards vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 31…Recorded 1 special teams tackle vs. Jacksonville on Nov. 13…Left game with an ankle injury against Green Bay on Dec. 19…Returned the following week to register 2 special teams tackles against Minnesota on Dec. 25, earning him a game ball.

2004

Began the year with the N.Y. Giants and was waived at the end of training camp…Signed by Baltimore to the practice squad on Oct. 2, and spent four weeks on the practice squad before joining the active roster on Oct. 29…Competed in 10 games, including four starts, and finished with 9 receptions for 94 yards and 1 TD…Started first career game vs. Cleveland on Nov. 7…Scored first career TD on a 17-yard pass from Kyle Boller against Dallas on Nov. 21, and totaled a career-high 3 receptions for 40 yards…Caught 1 pass for 5 yards vs. N.Y. Giants on Dec. 12…Pulled in 1 pass for 10 yards, good enough for a first down against Indianapolis on Dec. 19…Recorded 2 receptions for 25 yards in the season finale vs. Miami on Jan. 2.

2003

Opened the season on the Giants practice squad and spent the first nine weeks on the practice squad…Signed by the Giants active roster on Nov. 15, and played in seven games for the Giants and caught 2 passes for 16 yards and totaled 8 special team tackles on the year…Posted 2 special teams tackles vs. Tampa Bay on Nov. 24…Made a team-high 3 special teams tackles against Dallas on Dec. 21…Finished with 2 receptions for 16 yards in the final regular season game vs. Carolina on Dec. 28.

2002

Signed by N.Y. Giants as a free agent after playing semi-pro…Allocated to NFL Europe and played with the Rhein Fire…Earned a roster spot with the Giants and played in two games before breaking a bone in his foot which caused him to miss the final 13 games of the season…Made NFL debut in the season opener against San Francisco on Sept. 5…Tallied 1 special teams tackle vs. Seattle on Sept. 22…Placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 1.

2001

Played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Colts, a semi-pro football team.

College Highlights

A three-year starter at free safety for the Pittsburgh Panthers…Started all 11 games in 1998, while finishing second on the team with 78 tackles…Also posted 6 PBU and 1 forced fumble…Came to the Panthers as a quarterback before moving to the defensive backfield.

Personal

Full name is Darnell Joseph Dinkins…Born Jan. 20, 1977, in Pittsburgh, Pa…Played quarterback at Schenley High School in Pittsburgh…Named City League MVP by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Pittsburgh Courier…A member of the 1995 Big 33 team as a senior…Finished high school career with 435 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 26 carries…Threw for 1,256 yards and 10 TDs his senior season…On defense, he totaled 86 tackles, 4 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries…Has worked with Habitat for Humanity throughout his NFL career…Has his own website, www.darnelldinkins.com...Father of Kayla, 6, Khalil, 4, and Kolin, 2