D. J. Chark

American football player (born 1996)

American football player
D. J. Chark
refer to caption
Chark at the 2020 Pro Bowl
Personal information
Born: (1996-09-23) September 23, 1996 (age 27)
Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Alexandria (LA)
College:LSU (2014–2017)
Position:Wide receiver
NFL draft:2018 / Round: 2 / Pick: 61
Career history
  • Jacksonville Jaguars (2018–2021)
  • Detroit Lions (2022)
  • Carolina Panthers (2023)
Career highlights and awards
  • Pro Bowl (2019)
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:212
Receiving yards:3,069
Receiving touchdowns:23
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Darrell Demont "D. J." Chark Jr. (/tʃɑːrrk/ chark;[1] born September 23, 1996) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU.

Early years

Chark was born to Shirley and Darrell Chark on September 23, 1996. He played for a youth league as a running back in his hometown. He attended Alexandria Senior High School in Alexandria, Louisiana, where played high school football and ran track.[2][3]

College career

Chark had offers from schools such as Memphis, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, among others. He chose to commit to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.[4] Chark played at LSU from 2014 to 2017 under head coaches Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.[5] After not recording a reception his first two years, he had 26 for 466 yards and three touchdowns as a junior in 2016.[6][7] As a senior in 2017, he had 40 receptions for 874 yards and three touchdowns.[8] Known for his straight-ahead speed, Chark earned the nickname "The Flash" during his time at LSU. He wore number 7 at LSU.[9]

College statistics

LSU Tigers
Season Team GP Receiving Rushing Punt returns
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD
2014 LSU 6 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2015 LSU 5 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 86 43.0 79 1 0 0 0.0 0 0
2016 LSU 12 26 466 17.9 80 3 12 122 10.2 53 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
2017 LSU 12 40 874 21.9 68 3 12 63 5.3 20 1 18 190 10.6 75 2
Career[10] 35 66 1,340 20.3 80 6 26 271 10.4 79 4 18 190 10.6 75 2

Professional career

Pre-draft

On December 18, 2017, it was announced that Chark had accepted his invitation to play in the 2018 Senior Bowl.[11] On January 27, 2018, Chark played in the 2018 Reese's Senior Bowl and made two tackles and caught five passes for 160 receiving yards and a touchdown as part of Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien's South team that defeated the North 45–16. He led both teams in receiving yards and earned the Senior Bowl's co-MVP award.[12] Chark's Senior Bowl performance immediately garnered him recognition as a top wide receiver prospect in the upcoming draft and he was widely praised among analysts, including Charles Davis and James Jones.[13]

External videos
video icon Senior Bowl: D.J. Chark catches 75-yard TD
video icon Senior Bowl: D.J. Chark catches 63-yard TD
video icon Top 5 D.J. Chark Reese's Senior Bowl plays

He attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and completed all of the combine and positional drills. His draft stock continued to rise after he tied for fourth among all players in the 40-yard dash, tied for ninth in the vertical jump, and tied for 13th in the broad jump.[14] Chark also attended a private workout for the Dallas Cowboys and pre-draft visits with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos.[15][16] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Chark was projected to be a second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the fifth best wide receiver prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com, was ranked the sixth best wide receiver by Scouts Inc., and was ranked tenth best wide receiver by Sports Illustrated.[17][18][19]

External videos
video icon D.J. Chark's NFL Scouting Combine
video icon D.J. Chark runs 4.34 in the 40-yard dash
video icon D.J. Chark records 10'9" broad jump
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+7⁄8 in
(1.90 m) 		199 lb
(90 kg) 		32+3⁄8 in
(0.82 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.34 s 1.51 s 2.54 s 40 in
(1.02 m)		 10 ft 9 in
(3.28 m)		 16 reps
All values from NFL Combine /LSU's Pro Day[20][21][22]

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Chark in the second round with the 61st overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Chark was the eighth wide receiver drafted in 2018.[23] On May 25, 2018, the Jaguars signed him to a four-year, $4.44 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.31 million.[24] In the Jaguars' Week 2 victory over the New England Patriots, Chark recorded his first professional reception, which went for 13 yards. However, he did lose the ball on a fumble on the same play.[25] Chark finished his rookie year with 14 receptions for 174 receiving yards.[26] He was also the Jaguars primary kick returner.

External videos
video icon Jaguars draft D.J. Chark 61st overall
video icon Instant Draft Grade: D.J. Chark

During Week 1 of the 2019 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Chark caught four passes for 146 yards and a touchdown as the Jaguars lost 40–26, the best yards-per-reception in a game by a Jaguar.[27] In Week 2 against the Houston Texans, Chark caught seven passes for 55 yards and one touchdown as the Jaguars lost 13–12.[28] In Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans, Chark caught four passes for 76 yards and his third receiving touchdown of the season in the 20–7 win.[29] In Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, Chark caught eight passes for 164 yards (#8 in franchise history) and two touchdowns in the 34–27 loss.[30] In Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, Chark caught eight passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the 33–13 loss.[31] Overall, Chark finished the 2019 season with 73 receptions for 1,008 receiving yards (the fifth Jaguar to reach 1,000 receiving yards in franchise history) and eight receiving touchdowns and a two-point conversion, leading the team in scoring by a non-kicker.[32] He was named to the Pro Bowl.[33]

In Week 4 of the 2020 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, Chark caught eight passes for 95 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns during the 33–25 loss.[34] In Week 9 against the Texans, Chark had seven receptions for 146 receiving yards, including a 73-yard receiving touchdown, in the 27–25 loss.[35] He finished the 2020 season with 53 receptions for 706 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[36]

On August 8, 2021, it was revealed that Chark had surgery to repair a broken finger. The injury was not as serious as Chark was expected to be ready by the start of the season.[37] Chark suffered a fractured ankle during the Jaguars Week 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter in the 24–21 loss.[38] He was placed on injured reserve on October 4, 2021.[39] He played in four games and totaled seven receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the 2021 season.[40] At the time of his trade, he was in the top 10 in Jaguars franchise history in receiving touchdowns (#7t), yards per reception (#5), and 100-yard games (#7t).[41]

Detroit Lions

On March 17, 2022, Chark signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Detroit Lions.[42][43] He suffered an ankle injury in Week 3, missed the next two games, before being placed on injured reserve on October 22, 2022.[44] He was activated on November 19.[45] The week after recording a touchdown in Week 12 against Bills, in Chark's third game back he had five receptions for 98 yards in a blowout of his former team, the Jaguars.[46][47] The following week, he had 94 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Minnesota Vikings.[48] In the season finale, Chark had just three receptions for 14 yards, but two were critical 4th-down conversions to set up the game winning touchdown, and kill the clock to eliminate the rival Green Bay Packers from the playoffs.[49] On the season, Chark's 502 yards in the 11 games he played were third-best for the 9-8 Lions, behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond.[50]

Carolina Panthers

On March 24, 2023, Chark signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal.[51] In week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Chark had his best showing of the season recording 6 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns from Bryce Young in a 33-30 loss.[52]

NFL career statistics

Regular season
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2018 JAX 11 0 14 174 12.4 38 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1
2019 JAX 15 14 73 1,008 13.8 69 8 2 20 10.0 20 0 0 0
2020 JAX 13 12 53 706 13.3 73 5 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2021 JAX 4 4 7 154 22.0 41 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2022 DET 11 10 30 502 16.7 51 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2023 CAR 15 11 35 525 15.0 47 5 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1
Career 69 51 212 3,069 14.5 73 23 2 20 10.0 20 0 3 2

References

  1. ^ Chark, D.J. (August 3, 2018). "I'm just happy it finally says Chark (correctly) instead of receiver #17! Lol". Twitter. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Khan Jr., Sam (June 10, 2013). "LSU lands commit No. 10 in WR Chark". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Dellenger, Ross (August 25, 2017). "DJ Chark's story: Top LSU receiver 'saved' dad, cared for ailing sister, came 'very close' to leaving team". The Advocate. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  4. ^ Smith, James (June 10, 2013). "LSU's proximity to home was key to landing 2014 receiver D.J. Chark". NOLA.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  5. ^ "D.J. Chark College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  6. ^ Guilbeau, Glenn (July 14, 2017). "The last year for LSU WR D.J. Chark of Alexandria has been one". The Advertiser. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  7. ^ Dellenger, Ross (January 23, 2018). "Flashy Smooth: Former LSU WR DJ Chark shows 'Day 2' talent on first day of Senior Bowl practice". The Advocate. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Dabe, Christopher (January 25, 2018). "D.J. Chark's 'straight-line speed' draws former LSU receiver to Senior Bowl". NOLA.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Jaguars draft big, speedy LSU receiver DJ Chark in 2nd round". OrlandoSentinel.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "D.J. Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars, Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Dellinger, Ross (December 18, 2017). "LSU WR DJ Chark accepts invite to Senior Bowl, 2 other Tigers heading to NFLPA Collegiate Bowl". theadvocate.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  12. ^ Suss, Nick (January 27, 2018). "LSU WR DJ Chark dominates in Senior Bowl, named game's co-MVP". SEC Country. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Cooper, Jon (January 27, 2018). "Former LSU WR DJ Chark impresses NFL analyst during Senior Bowl". saturdaydownsouth.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "2018 NFL Scouting Combine: Top Performers". NFL.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  15. ^ Payne, Scotty (April 12, 2018). "Report: Broncos are having a pre-draft visit/workout with LSU wide receiver, D.J. Chark". Mile High Report. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Ratty, Ryan (April 12, 2018). "Report: Cowboys hold private workout with LSU WR D.J. Chark". bloggingtheboys.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  17. ^ "D.J. Chark, DS #5 WR, LSU". Draft Scout. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  18. ^ "NFL Draft D.J. Chark -ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ "The 2018 NFL Draft Big Board, Vol. 2". SI.com. March 7, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  20. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: D.J. Chark". National Football League. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  21. ^ "NFL Football Highlights, Clips & Analysis". NFL.com.
  22. ^ "D.J. Chark".
  23. ^ Crow, Alfie (April 27, 2018). "2018 NFL Draft results: Jaguars pick DJ Chark". BigCatCountry.com. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  24. ^ "Spotrac.com: D.J. Chark contract". spotrac.com. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  25. ^ "Jaguars' D.J. Chark: Loses fumble on first career catch". CBSSports.com. September 17, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  26. ^ "DJ Chark 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  27. ^ "Chiefs lose Hill, handle Jags 40–26 behind Mahomes, Watkins". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  28. ^ "Texans stop Jags' 2-point conversion to get 13–12 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 15, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  29. ^ "Minshew, defense shine as Jaguars thump Titans 20–7". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  30. ^ "McCaffrey scores 3 TDs, Panthers hold off Jaguars 34–27". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  31. ^ "Colts overpower Jaguars with strong ground game in 33–13 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  32. ^ "DJ Chark 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  33. ^ "2019 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  34. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals – October 4th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  35. ^ "Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars - November 8th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  36. ^ "DJ Chark 2020 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  37. ^ Bergman, Jeremy (August 8, 2021). "D.J. Chark has surgery on broken finger". NFL.com. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  38. ^ Scott, Jelani (September 30, 2021). "Jaguars WR D.J. Chark ruled out vs. Bengals with fractured ankle". NFL.com. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  39. ^ "Roster Moves: Little activated, Chark Jr. and Cann placed on IR". Jaguars.com. October 4, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  40. ^ "DJ Chark 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  41. ^ Jaguars Media Guide (PDF). NFL. 2022.
  42. ^ Patra, Kevin (March 15, 2022). "Lions to sign WR D.J. Chark to one-year, $10M deal". NFL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  43. ^ "Lions sign unrestricted free agent WR DJ Chark". DetroitLions.com. March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  44. ^ Schlitt, Erik (October 22, 2022). "Detroit Lions place DJ Chark, Bobby Price on injured reserve". Pride of Detroit. SB Nation. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  45. ^ Birkett, Dave (November 19, 2022). "Detroit Lions activate WR DJ Chark from injured reserve, rule Josh Reynolds out vs. Giants". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  46. ^ "Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions - November 24th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  47. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions - December 4th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  48. ^ "Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions - December 11th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  49. ^ "Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers - January 8th, 2023 - Lambeau Field". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  50. ^ "2022 Detroit Lions Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  51. ^ Gantt, Darin (March 24, 2023). "Panthers agree to terms with wide receiver DJ Chark". Panthers.com. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  52. ^ "Packers 33-30 Panthers (Dec 24, 2023) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved December 25, 2023.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference
  • Carolina Panthers bio
  • LSU Tigers bio
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