Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
It was his first day at Arizona State.
Alden Darby and the rest of his teammates had just finished their first meeting of the football season, and everyone broke off to go to their respective position groups.
Darby glanced around and asked whoever was listening, ‘where do I go?’
The 26-year-old had played offence and defence while he was in high school – suiting up at quarterback, running back, receiver and defensive back – so when he arrived in college, he was unsure of what side of the ball he’d end up on.
“I actually didn’t know what I was going to play until the first day of college,” Darby said over the phone after practice on Tuesday. “Every school that recruited me was talking about playing me both ways and playing me at receiver. But Arizona State never really talked about my ability on the field. They were just more so concerned about my education and getting my grades in order and letting me know that I’d be academically secure.”
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On that day back in 2010, when the five-foot-11, 195-pounder asked which meeting he should go to, his coaches informed him he’d be playing cornerback and the decision was made.
Sure, he was told he was going to be in the secondary, but that didn’t stop him from sneaking away to get a few reps on the offensive side of the ball during practices.
“I would go out there and run routes with the quarterbacks and do workouts,” remembered Darby. “Until the defensive coordinator told me to stop doing that because they were getting ideas.
“That’s kind of how I fell into playing corner. I’m not mad about it. Giving that I’m only five-10, five-11, I would be a kind of short receiver, so it worked out.”
And that it did.
Darby went on to finish his NCAA career with 217 tackles, 10 interceptions (two of which were pick-sixes), four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and 26 pass knockdowns as a member of the Sun Devils. He was also named a two-time All-Pac-12, including a first-team nomination in 2013.
He then went on to spend a few seasons bouncing around the NFL, spending time with the San Diego Chargers (2014), Pittsburgh Steelers (2015), New Orleans Saints (2016) and Indianapolis Colts (2016) before joining the Argonauts midway through the 2017 season.
Back in his senior year of high school, the Long Beach, California native found himself being asked to play an unfamiliar position.
The team’s starting quarterback had been injured in the first game of the season and the coaching staff looked to Darby for help. Since his junior year, Darby had played both receiver and DB so he was up for the challenge of adding another position to his resume.
“I’ve always had a really, really strong arm, I could always throw the ball, so they were like, ‘Darby, you’ve got to go play quarterback’ and I was like, ‘okay, whatever you guys need me to do,’” he recalled. “At first, I was very inaccurate so that led me to just use my legs and run a lot.
“I got with the quarterbacks coach every single day to help with my accuracy and that’s when the passing game kicked in because a lot of guys would load the box up thinking I was going to take off and run.”
Darby lead his team in passing and rushing yards that season (2010) and also sat third in receiving yards.
Darby shares a drink with teammate Marcus Ball (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
“I’ve always been a guy, even still to this day, that whatever the team needs, I’m going to do it,” he said. “If I’m capable of doing it and I know I’m not going to hurt the team, I’m all for it. I’m all for the team.”
His journey with the Toronto Argonauts has been much of the same. This season, Darby has shown off that versatility, lining up at field and boundary corner as well as linebacker.
He also took it upon himself to grow into a leadership role in his second season in double blue. There were injuries at almost every position on the defensive side of the ball and Darby was also one of the only players who suited up for the Argos last year still on the roster.
“I know that with Cassius (Vaughn) being out in the secondary, guys like that being out, I knew that I had to step up,” Darby stated. “I had to become a veteran. I was only going into my second year, but I understood the role. I’m a guy that was a captain at Arizona State so for me being a leader, it’s kind of second nature for me.”
In 16 games this year in Toronto, Darby has collected career-high in tackles (58), sacks (one), interceptions (two) and touchdowns (two). While much of his success has some from his athletic ability, Darby admits he took notes from some of the best in the business as he learned the Canadian game.
During his early days in the CFL, Darby would watch film on veterans like Chris Randle and T.J. Health, studying the little nuances and details that allowed for each of them to become two of the best shutdown defensive backs in the league.
“T.J.’s a great guy,” Darby said of his former teammate, who was traded to the Montreal Alouettes in July. “(He’s a) great teammate. Great friend. He definitely helped me a lot with my game. A decorated veteran like that.”
“It was just a hand full of guys that I would watch,” he continued. “(I’d) watch them play the game and watch how veteran savvy they are with this game and how they attack each game and watch their different techniques.”
Throughout his entire career, Darby has been able to to show off his ability to play any position he’s put in and that’s just the way he likes it.
“I love when I go into a game and guys see me line up at linebacker in one series and then lineup at corner in the next series,” he said. “It’s kind of like, ‘this guy can really do it all.’
“It’s kind of been the story of my life.”
