Darren D'Waun Grainger (born July 21, 2000) is an American former football quarterback. He played college football for the Furman Paladins and the Georgia State Panthers.
Early life Grainger attended Conway High School in Conway, South Carolina, where he lettered in football and basketball. He was an unranked quarterback recruit and committed to play at Furman.
College career Furman As a freshman in 2018, Grainger played in four games and started one. He completed 13 of 27 passing attempts for 181 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns and was given a redshirt. In 2019, Grainger played in all 13 games and completed 79 of 161 passing attempts for 1,222 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
On December 23, 2020, Grainger announced that he would be transferring to Georgia State.
Georgia State In 2021, Grainger played all 13 games and completed 136 of 228 passing attempts for 1,715 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 18 of 24 passing attempts for 198 yards and two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina. In the 2021 Camellia Bowl, Grainger passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and won game MVP honors. In 2022, he played in 11 games and completed 158 of 272 passing attempts for 2,257 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions, earning all Sun-Belt honorable mention.
In 2023, Grainger was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after completing 27 of 33 passing attempts for 466 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown against Charlotte.
Statistics Season Team Games Passing Rushing 2018 Furman 4 1 0–1 13 27 48.1 181 6.7 2 2 114.1 42 37 0.9 0 2019 Furman 13 11 7–4 79 161 49.1 1,222 7.6 13 3 135.7 93 316 3.4 5 2021 Georgia State 13 11 8–3 136 228 59.6 1,715 7.5 19 4 146.8 133 660 5.0 3 2022 Georgia State 12 12 4–8 174 297 58.6 2,443 8.2 18 7 143.0 164 734 4.5 6 2023 Georgia State 13 13 7–6 244 358 68.2 2,621 7.3 20 7 144.2 159 736 4.6 10 FCS Totals 17 12 7–5 92 188 48.9 1,403 7.5 15 5 132.6 135 353 2.6 5 FBS Totals 38 36 19–17 554 883 62.7 6,779 7.7 57 18 144.5 456 2,130 4.7 19 Career 55 48 26–22 646 1,071 60.3 8,182 7.6 72 23 142.4 591 2,483 4.2 24
Professional career
On May 25, 2024, Grainger signed to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was released on June 2, 2024. Late in the season, he was re-signed by the Blue Bombers on September 16, 2024, to a practice roster agreement. He retired on January 27, 2025.
References
External links Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio Furman Paladins bio Georgia State Panthers bio