Dahrran Diedrick

Dahrran Diedrick (January 11, 1979 – June 24, 2023) was a Canadian professional football player who was a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2005 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2009 and 2010. Diedrick played college football in the United States with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He began his pro career in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Redskins. He played for ten seasons in the CFL, primarily with the Alouettes.

Early life Diedrick was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on January 11, 1979, to Karen Moulton and Kenneth Diedrick. He played high school ball at Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute, and rushed for almost 1,900 yards in nine games as a senior.

College career Diedrick attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, becoming the Cornhuskers' first Canadian recruit to receive a scholarship in 1998. After using a redshirt season, he played college football for Nebraska from 1999 to 2002. He was a backup in his first two years behind Dan Alexander and Correll Buckhalter.

Professional career Diedrick was drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos in the third round, 24th overall, in the 2002 CFL draft, but returned to school for his senior year.

NFL Following the conclusion of his college career, Diedrick was signed by the San Diego Chargers after going undrafted in the 2003 NFL draft. He joined the team as a non-import player, and was expected to be the CFL's next great Canadian running back. He played in seven games, where he had ten carries for 31 yards as a backup to starter Troy Davis. In 2006, he dressed in three games, but was released on July 17, 2006.

Montreal Alouettes On July 24, 2006, Diedrick signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He played as a running back, fullback, and on special teams. He recorded his highest single-season rushing total in 2008 when he had 42 carries for 263 yards. He capped off the 2010 season by winning his third Grey Cup following the 98th Grey Cup game. In 2011, Diedrick was featured more in short-yardage situations and scored the first six rushing touchdowns of his career, while also recording 49 carries for 196 yards. He played in nine games for the Tiger-Cats where he had one catch for ten yards and three special teams tackles. He played in four games that year, but his professional football career came to an end during the 2014 season when he was diagnosed with hepatosplenic gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma. He had played in 130 career games where he had 179 carries for 872 yards and six touchdowns along with 49 special teams tackles. winning his fourth Grey Cup.