Darron Lee (born October 18, 1994) is a former National Football League (NFL) linebacker. He played collegiate football for the Ohio State Buckeyes before being drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He was also a part of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Las Vegas Raiders. Darron Lee, the New York Jets’ first-round choice in 2016, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his fiancée, the Hamilton County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office stated on Friday.
Darren Lee NFL Biography
Darren Lee, a former NFL linebacker who was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, moved to New Albany, Ohio, in sixth grade and attended New Albany High School, where he played quarterback, wide receiver, safety, and return specialist.
As a senior, he led his team to the state semifinals, where they were defeated 33-32 by Trotwood-Madison High School. Lee guided the Eagles to a 9-3 record in his junior season, as the regional finalists also won the Ohio Capital Conference championship.
As a senior, Lee focused on quarterback and secondary duties, helping the Eagles to an 11-3 record, including a 7-0 record as the Division II State Final Four team won the regional and Ohio Capital Conference championships.
He was voted first-team Associated Press Division II All-State after accumulating more than 1,700 yards of offense, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Lee also competed on the Eagles’ indoor and outdoor track and field teams. During the 2012 indoor season, he ran a personal best of 7.23 seconds in the 60-meter sprint and jumped 5’10” (1.78m) at the OSU Buckeye Qualifier Meet. He won the 200-meter title with a time of 22.21 seconds and was a member of the 4×400 relay team that won gold with a time of 3:24.53 at the District Running Event.
He also had a season-best 43.52-second run as a member of the 4×100 relay team that finished third at the Stingel Invitational. Lee was limited during the 2013 indoor season so that he could focus on offseason football conditioning.
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In 2013, he finished third in the 100 meters for the outdoor team at the Central District III Meet, with a personal best time of 11.06 seconds.
Rivals.com classified Lee as a three-star recruit. Scout.com rated him the 29th-best safety in the country and gave him four stars, while ESPN ranked him the 28th-best overall player in Ohio. Lee committed to playing college football at Ohio State University on May 26.
Lee appeared in two games as a true freshman in 2013 before suffering an injury, prompting him to receive a medical redshirt. Lee went to linebacker before his redshirt freshman season in 2014, where he became a starter. He was voted the 2015 Sugar Bowl’s Defensive MVP after recording seven tackles and two sacks.
The Jets traded Lee to the Chiefs on May 15, 2019, in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2020. Lee was a member of the Super Bowl LIV-winning Chiefs, who defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20, though he was inactive during the game itself.
After becoming a free agent in March 2020, Lee was suspended for the first four weeks of the 2020 NFL season on September 10, 2020. He was reinstated from suspension on October 6, 2020. On November 2, 2020, Lee was added to the Bills’ practice squad.
He was added to the active roster on November 14 and 28 for the team’s games against the Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers in weeks 10 and 12, respectively, and then returned to the practice squad following each game. His practice squad contract with the team expires at the end of the season on February 1, 2021.
On June 17, 2021, Lee signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was placed on injured reserve on August 24, 2021. He was released on August 30.
Murder Case
On June 4, 2017, Lee had a verbal argument with a woman at Randall’s Island’s Governors Ball Music Festival. Leonard Williams had pulled Lee away from the fight and restrained him. Lee’s arrest warrant was issued on June 26, 2023, after he failed to appear in court.
On February 6, 2026, Lee was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his lover.