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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars released
veteran safety Donovin Darius on Thursday. The 31-year-old Darius has been a defensive mainstay for the
Jaguars since they selected him in the first round of the 1998
draft, missing only nine games during his first seven seasons. But the last two years have been injury-plagued. In 2005, he
missed 14 games because of a torn knee ligament in 2005. He then
missed the final six games last year after breaking a leg, which
required surgery. At the time, his 60 tackles were second on the
team. "We'll miss Donovin's leadership both on and off the field,"
cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "Personally, I'll miss someone
who's become a very good and close friend." The Jaguars, making a shift to younger and faster defenders,
took Florida safety Reggie Nelson with their first-round pick in
this year's draft and also selected Wake Forest safety Josh Gattis
in the fifth round. Gerald Sensibaugh started the last two games of the 2005 season
and replaced Darius in the lineup after his injury last season. Donovin finished his career in Jacksonville with 858 tackles, 14
interceptions, seven forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and two
sacks. He surpassed 100 tackles in a season six times and led the
secondary in tackles in his first seven seasons.
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