Da'Norris Searcy (born November 16, 1988) is a former American football safety. He played college football for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He currently works at his alma mater as the Director of Football Student-Athlete Development.
High school career
Searcy attended Towers High School, where he was a two way standout at both defensive back and running back. He recorded 71 tackles, including 21 solo stops, eight tackles for losses and three sacks, as a senior. He also rushed for 1,607 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. In track & field, Searcy recorded personal-best times of 11.18 seconds in the 100m and 23.31 seconds in the 200m.
Considered only a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, Searcy had quite a lot of offers from top BCS schools including Florida, Virginia Tech and Ole Miss. However, he ultimately decided to attend North Carolina and play for the Tar Heels.
College career
In 2007, he was one of 11 true freshmen to see action. He played in all 12 games primarily on special teams. In 2008, he played primarily on special teams and as a reserve safety. He played in all 13 games and finished the season with 25 tackles, two sacks and three pass breakups. In 2009, he moved into the starting safety spot and also served as Carolina's starting punt returner. He finished the season with 35 tackles and had one interception, three pass breakups and returned seven kickoffs for an average of 23.1 yards. As a senior in 2010, he started nine of 10 games. He missed the first three games of the year while Carolina worked with the NCAA to determine his eligibility after violations, mostly receiving improper benefits committed by Searcy and other players part of the football program. He returned to the team, and recorded 37 tackles, including two for losses, and a team high 4 interceptions.
Professional career
Searcy attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and completed all of the combine and positional drills. On March 31, 2011, Searcy participated at North Carolina's pro day and attempted to improve his 40-yard dash (4.50s), 20-yard dash (2.68s), 10-yard dash (1.62s), and broad jump (10'5"). At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Searcy was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the second best strong safety in the draft by DraftScout.com.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills selected Searcy in the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Searcy was the fourth safety drafted in 2011.
2011
On July 29, 2011, the Buffalo Bills signed Searcy to a four-year, $2.52 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $484,424.
Throughout training camp, Searcy competed to be the starting strong safety against George Wilson and Bryan Scott. Head coach Chan Gailey named Searcy the third strong safety on the Bills' depth chart to start the regular season, behind George Wilson and Bryan Scott.
He made his professional regular season debut in the Buffalo Bills' season-opening 41–7 victory at the Kansas City Chiefs season. On September 18, 2011, Searcy deflected a pass and made his first career interception in the Bills' 38–35 win against the Oakland Raiders in Week 2. Searcy intercepted a pass by quarterback Jason Campbell, that was originally intended for wide receiver Denarius Moore, to seal the Bills' victory as time expired in the fourth quarter. On November 20, 2011, Searcy earned his first career sack after George Wilson injured his neck and missed three games (Weeks 11–13). He finished the Bills' 35–8 loss at the Miami Dolphins with a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo). In Week 13, he recorded nine combined tackles (six solo) in a 23–17 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He finished his rookie season in 2011 with 34 combined tackles (26 solo), a pass deflection, and an interception in 16 games and three starts.
2012
Searcy entered training camp slated as a backup safety. Defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt retained Searcy as the backup safety, behind Jairus Byrd and George Wilson, to start the regular season. On December 9, 2012, he collected a season-high five combined tackles in the Bills' 15–12 loss to the St. Louis Rams in Week 14. Searcy was inactive during the Bills' Week 17 victory against the New York Jets due to a groin injury he suffered the previous week. On December 31, 2012, the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Chan Gailey after they finished the 2012 season with a 6–10 record. Searcy completed his second season with 39 combined tackles (26 solo), two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection in 15 games and zero starts.