Darnell Autry

Who is Darnell Autry?

Harrington Darnell Autry is a former American football player who played college football at Northwestern University. In his sophomore season, he helped lead the Northwestern Wildcats to the Big Ten Championship and the 1996 Rose Bowl. Autry finished fourth for that year's Heisman Trophy and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a Northwestern victory over Penn State.

In his junior season, he led Northwestern to another share of the Big Ten championship. After the season, Autry sued the NCAA to be allowed to act in a movie since he was a theater major and he did not want to lose NCAA eligibility. The NCAA initially rejected his claims but eventually relented. He was then drafted in the 1997 NFL Draft where he had little success playing for the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.