Marcell Dareus

Marcell Dareus (born November 18, 1989) is an American football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Alabama, playing defensive end in the Crimson Tide's 3-4 defense. He led the Southeastern Conference in quarterback sacks in the 2009 season, and was also named Defensive MVP of the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.

Early years
Dareus attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, where an ASWA All-State honorable mention defensive lineman. He totaled 117 tackles and 20 sacks as a senior, and also returned a fumble for a touchdown. Dareus was listed on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super Southern 100, as well as the Mobile Press-Register Elite 18.

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Dareus was listed as the #28 defensive tackle prospect in the class of 2008. He was also ranked the No. 17 overall player on the Alabama Top 35 list. Dareus chose Alabama over scholarship offers from Auburn, Tennessee, North Carolina, among others.

College career
In his true freshman season at Alabama, Dareus played in eight games, making his debut in the Crimson Tide's season opener against Clemson. He registered four tackles while recording three quarterback hurries. Dareus saw playing time at nose tackle in third-down-and-long situations, replacing the pure run-stuffing Terrence Cody.

As a sophomore, a big contributor all season at defensive end for Alabama. He played in 14 games and made four starts while serving as the Tide's top pass rusher. He totaled 33 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (−49), seven quarterback hurries, an interception and two pass breakups. He finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference and ranked tied for 90th nationally with 6.5 sacks (−44) or .46 per game. For his performance, including a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown, Dareus was named defensive MVP of the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.

In July 2010, Dareus was investigated by the University of Alabama in conjunction with the NCAA into whether Dareus paid his own expenses when attending a party in Miami, Florida hosted by a sports agent, and whether the circumstances constituted a NCAA violation. In early September, the NCAA suspended him for the first two games of the season in addition to requiring him to pay back the $1,787.17 received in impermissible benefits to the charity of his choice. After the university decided to not appeal the ruling, he made his 2010 debut against Duke in week three. For the season, he totaled 34 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss (−41), 4.5 quarterback sacks (−26), ten quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. In the week following the Capitol One Bowl victory, Dareus declared his eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft on January 7. At the time of the announcement, he was projected as a first round pick.

Buffalo Bills
Dareus was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills on April 28, 2011. On April 29, the day after the first round, the Bills announced that Dareus would wear jersey number 99. On July, 29, 2011, Dareus signed a 4 year deal with the Bills worth $20.4 million.