There aren’t many words to describe how dominant North Texas wide receiver Jaelon Darden was in 2020.
Darden leads the nation with 19 receiving touchdowns and ranks top three with 1,190 receiving yards in just nine games. Many of the receivers who trail close behind have played as many as 11 games.
In his career finale, Darden caught eight passes for 173 yards and four touchdowns, all of which were enough to clinch the program record for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. After 2020, there is no question of who is the greatest receiver to play for the Mean Green.
“I expected it to be honest,” Darden said. “I believe in my work ethic.”
Wait, he expected to be a Biletnikoff semifinalist, All-American, lead the nation in receiving touchdowns and to leave North Texas as the leader in every receiver category four years after barely getting in the door at an FBS school?
“Just go back to the work ethic,” Darden said with a half-smile. “It’s a lot of work put in behind this. A lot of people don’t see this.”
Ask UNT coach Seth Littrell about why Darden is special? Work ethic. Ask UNT receivers coach Tommy Mainord? Work ethic. Teammates? Family? Staff? Work ethic. Work ethic. Hard work. Work ethic.
“When he walks onto the field, he has the confidence that he’s the best one out there,” Mainord said. “That confidence is built in his work ethic. That’s who he is by nature. It’s well earned.”
After hearing the same answer over and over again from so many different people, you almost start to believe it. So where does this legendary work ethic come from? To answer that, you have to go back home to Darden’s home in Houston, Texas and ask the people who know him best.
“There’s a lot behind this,” Darden said. “There’s a lot to why I’m working so hard.”
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Manya Darden was the father of two exceptional boys and husband to Tamishe. He worked hard and always wore a smile. He loved encouraging others and making people laugh, and took great pride in his son Jaelon’s exploits on the football field. Over the summer, Manya died suddenly of a heart attack during surgery.
“I say he’s one of our soldiers and one of our soldiers was down,” Tamishe Darden said. “He was one of the main leaders in [Jaelon]’s life and was the greatest inspiration to him."
From Manya and Tamishe, Jaelon learned the importance of hard work. Even while working tough schedules, the Dardens set time aside to make sure Jaelon made it to youth football leagues on time, that he performed well in school and worked on his craft.
Raised around family, it was instilled at a young age that no one accomplishes something alone. On the playground as a child, Darden was always supporting other kids and trying to bring everyone up with him. His brother wasn’t his only sibling in his eyes. Everyone he grew up with was family.
“I think it’s part of his morals and the foundation of what he grew up on, how his parents raised him,” Tamishe Darden said. “He’s always been like that. He always had a tremendous, giving heart. He’s not selfish at all.”
Darden really committed himself to football greatness in high school, but playing at Aldine Eisenhower meant living out some of that selflessness. Darden agreed to play quarterback on his high school team, even though he knew his college future wasn’t at the position. Without question, lack of film at slot receiver – and missing some time as a senior following a transfer eligibility issue – kept Darden from receiving more attention. Plus, pesky questions about his 5-foot-9 frame followed him.
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