Most people would assume the thrill of catching an NFL touchdown is one that surpasses all. For Darren Waller, that thrill would turn bitter and land him stocking shelves at Sprouts Farmers Market. Waller was 15 years old when he curiously went snooping through a friend’s medicine cabinet, finding a bottle of oxycodone. However, little did he know, he had just started a love affair that would grip his life for years to come.
A native of Acworth, Georgia, Waller was surrounded by opportunities to excel growing up. He made good grades, excelled in sports and was well-liked amongst his piers. After graduating from North Cobb High School, he went to Georgia Tech on a full scholarship. A star player on the Georgia Tech football team and a popular individual, Waller seemed to be the man on campus but inside he was struggling. As the years went on, his opioid addiction grew and was accompanied by large quantities of marijuana and alcohol. He was going out six nights a week and was often intoxicated at practice or during games. Waller recalls not being able to look in the mirror at himself out of shame and guilt. He said, “I started to rely on it for everything, and that’s how it became an addiction — like I had to rely on it to have fun, I had to rely on it to have some peace, I had to rely on it to celebrate, I had to rely on it when I was down about something or when I was lonely. So, it was just like everything in my life revolved around it.” Word of Waller’s failed drug tests and character issues had spread into the NFL and his draft stock plummeted.
However, in 2015, the Baltimore Ravens drafted Waller in the sixth round despite his rumored partier persona. For John Harbaugh and the Ravens, the 6’6 athlete with good hands and 4.4 speed was too good of a prospect to pass up and they felt he could overcome his addiction. As Waller began practice in Baltimore, he was miserable. The long hours and demand of being in the NFL made Waller just want to punch the clock and go get high, often being the first to leave and the last to show up. He became so controlled by his addiction that he sabotaged his own NFL career by skipping practice and team functions to stay home and get high. On June 30, 2017, after multiple fail drug tests, Waller was suspended for one year without pay for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. However, Waller didn’t care and was glad it happened. When he got the news, he was relieved to be put out of his misery instead of looking like a quitter. His wish of getting out of the NFL may have became true but he was actually hitting rock bottom. One night, two months into his suspension, Waller stopped into a parking lot to get his fix but instead woke up in his car hours later with no recollection, finding out later he had taken fentanyl. That’s when he knew he had to get his act together, so he went to rehab.
Waller went to McLean Borden Cottage in Camden, Maine to begin his new journey. Waller says, he learned self-awareness through reflecting on his experiences and meditation. When Waller returned home, he was ready to start working towards an NFL comeback and while doing so he became a grocery clerk at Sprouts Farmers Market. When he began stocking shelves, it was the humbling experience he needed. As Waller began his new fresh start and enjoyed his job, he was reinstated by the NFL on August 7, 2018. When thinking back on that moment, Waller says “The level of excitement from that compared to draft day was a hundred times more exciting.” When Waller returned to the Ravens, he was placed on their practice squad. In November 2018, the Ravens were hosting the Raiders in a regular season matchup when John Gruden noticed Waller. After the game, Waller was immediately signed by the Raiders to their active roster.
In Las Vegas, Waller became a star. In 2020, he became a pro bowler and on September 10, 2022, Waller signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders, becoming the highest-paid tight end in the league. Waller was traded to the New York Giants on March 15, 2023 but since rejoining the league, he has became a house-hold name in the NFL, formed the Darren Waller Foundation to help kids who struggle with addiction, and got married to Las Vegas Aces point guard Kelsey Plum.
It’s been a long road for Darren Waller but it’s made him who he is today, while inspiring others that they can rewrite their own story. He credits all of his success to his sobriety and says, “If my story can reach just one person that is struggling, then that’s enough for me.”