Former CFL, NFL running back Dahrran Diedrick dead at age of 44 | 24CA News
Canadian operating again Dahrran Diedrick, who led Nebraska to an NCAA championship berth and later gained three Grey Cup titles over a 10-year CFL profession, died early Saturday morning after a battle with most cancers. He was 44.
The Montreal Alouettes, the group Diedrick gained two of his Grey Cups with, confirmed his passing. Hall of Fame quarterback Anthony Calvillo, presently the CFL group’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was a teammate of Diedrick’s for eight seasons in La Belle Province.
“I won two championships with Dahrran, and he was a very important piece of our team,” Calvillo stated in an announcement. “He was always in a good mood and got along with everyone in our dressing room.
“He leaves us far too young, and I send my best thoughts to his loved ones.”
The six-foot, 225-pound Diedrick, who was born in Jamaica however raised in Toronto, was the primary Canadian-born scholarship recruit to play for the University of Nebraska. In 2001, Diedrick began for the Cornhuskers, speeding for a Big 12-leading 1,299 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Diedrick helped Nebraska attain the ’02 Rose Bowl, which additionally occurred to be the NCAA nationwide championship recreation. But the Miami Hurricanes captured the title with a 37-14 victory.
However, Diedrick additionally excelled in he classroom at Nebraska. In 2002, he was certainly one of 5 Cornhuskers who performed that season with their diploma in hand.
Diedrick earned his undergraduate felony justice diploma in December 2001 and accomplished his undergraduate work with a 3.165 cumulative GPA. He completed his collegiate soccer profession with 2,745 yards speeding on 502 carries with 26 touchdowns.
Edmonton chosen Diedrick within the third spherical of the ’02 CFL draft however the operating again opted to return to highschool earlier than signing with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent the next yr. He additionally had stints with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders, enjoying one recreation in 2004.
He joined Edmonton in 2005, incomes his first Grey Cup that yr.
Diedrick was then acquired by Montreal, the place he performed from 2006 to 2013, successful Grey Cups in 2009 and ’10. Following a brief stint with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2013 he returned to the Alouettes for his remaining season in 2014.
It was in the course of the 2014 marketing campaign that Diedrick was recognized with hepatosplenic gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma, a uncommon however very aggressive type of the illness. He retired at season’s finish however later served because the Toronto Argonauts energy coach in 2017, incomes a fourth Grey Cup ring that season.
Diedrick ran for 872 yards on 179 carries over 130 CFL regular-season video games with six touchdowns.
“Dahrran was a very good friend of mine in the locker room, and we kept in touch after our careers,” stated Eric Deslauriers, Montreal’s senior director of soccer operations who additionally spent eight seasons as a teammate of Diedrick’s with the Alouettes. “I remember a very physical player when he had the ball, no one could take it away from him.
“My thoughts are with his loved ones and his family, my heart is very heavy right now.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press
