Countdown to the season opener: Day 89 DaRon Bland

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 89) with some Cowboys history

We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys Players. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.

Today – number 89.

DaRon Bland

Born: July 12, 1999. Modesto, California
Position: Cornerback
Dallas Cowboys: 2022-Current
Awards: First-team All-Pro (2023)
Pro Bowl (2023)
NFL interceptions leader (2023)
Most interceptions returned for touchdown in a season – NFL/Cowboys (5)
Most defensive touchdowns in a season – NFL/Cowboys (5)

DaRon Bland joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 as a fifth-round draft pick out of Fresno State and quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s most promising young cornerbacks after he made seven pass breakups and five interceptions in his rookie season. After showing flashes in his first year, Bland was given more opportunities as a starter and had one of the craziest breakout seasons for a player with such low expectations. He would go on to set an NFL record with five pick-sixes in a single season and would haul in a total of nine interceptions, which led both Dallas and league that year.

That monumental season would see Bland get All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors and finish fifth in the Defensive Player of The Year voting, above players like Fred Warner or Roquan Smith. His elite ball skills, instincts, and ability to read quarterbacks made him a game-changing presence in the Cowboys’ secondary, helping solidify a dominant Dallas defense. He is now set to continue off the back of a career defining season after hitting setbacks in 2024, which saw him miss the majority of the year with a foot injury and not start a game until Week 12.

Best known for:
Bland is best known for his moment that will forever be immortalized on Thanksgiving against Washington in 2023, where he set the NFL single-season and team record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown. The huge pick-six play is often replayed by football fans and networks, documenting such a historical record.

Lesser known fact:
Before transferring to Fresno State, Bland played at Sacramento State (mostly on special teams), where he was lightly recruited and relatively unknown. He was never called to the NFL Scouting Combine, and when his name was called in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, it left many draft analysts scratching their head. This makes his rapid rise to NFL stardom one of the more remarkable underdog stories in Cowboys and NFL history.