Darren Waller Parents: Meet Dorian and Charlena Waller, NFL Ex-TE’s Guardians Who Inspired His Musical Career

Darren Waller is retiring from the league after his eight-season-NFL career. However, there might be other interests of his that can come in handy this time for the professional athlete – especially an interest of his parents. Waller started off his NFL career after being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. But the Georgia Tech player’s life trajectory to become a healthy professional footballer is quite struggling, but inspiring. Thanks to his parents who were there for the tight end.

Born on September 13, 1992, Darren Waller is the son of Dorian and Charlena Waller, who have been married for over 35 years. Although not much is known about them, their support in their son’s difficult phase is notable. There was a time when tight end Waller was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. He inclined towards this bad habit during his early age when he was consistently being called black. This affected him so much that Waller wore masks wherever he went.

Additionally, the pain was so deep that he searched outside his home for approval of his looks. However, later on, his parents and entire family played a pivotal role in his life, assisting him to overcome the struggle and focus on becoming a healthy and better athlete.

When Darren Waller was traded to the Giants, he recalled that he grew up watching the team with his father. In the “Giants Huddle” podcast, he revealed Dad’s reaction to the trade. Waller said that his father was over the moon when he heard about it, as he was a die-hard Giants fan himself. He expressed, “I watched the Giants growing up with him. I’ve seen pretty much every nugget of Giants history whether it be from NFL films or just sitting on the couch watching with him. So, it’s cool to be here and have full-circle life moments like that, and a lot of his family as well is from New York. So, just to represent them along with representing the Giants is a pretty cool thing.”

Apart from that, Waller belongs to a musical family. In an interview last year, the 31-year-old tight end revealed that music is in his blood from his great grandfather, jazz composer Fats Waller. He said that his parents, Dorian and Charlena, introduced him to the piano when he was a toddler. The athlete also played in a band through musical school. Then after middle school, he stopped music until after college, when he learned more about his great-grandfather’s influence. He also realized his own musical talent, and since then, he has been recording, making beats, and singing.

For Waller, creating music brings him immense joy, and is one of his favorite things to do. At the end of May, he also released his track titled “Who Knew (Her Perspective), ” as well as the “I Ain’t the One to Mess With” song at the start of the June month. Now that he is retired, it’s safe to say, Waller can release some more of his tracks, and divert his attention from his mental health issues.

Darren Waller’s retirement reason is his health

NFL tight end Darren Waller has hung his cleats after playing for the Ravens, Raiders, and Giants. In a YouTube video, the 31-year-old shared that he had a severe fever in November, which left him hospitalized for three and a half days, as he was unable to breathe. This health scare made him reconsider his life and decide to retire from the NFL. In his professional journey, in 2017, Waller was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Reflecting on that phase, the former TE admitted he didn’t value himself and found the idea of change daunting. After rehab and a job at a grocery store, he returned to the NFL. His career peaked during his five years with the Raiders, where he had back-to-back 1000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, he was selected for the Pro Bowl in the same year (2020).

Now that he is retired from the New York Giants, the team issued a farewell statement for him: “We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best.”