As the final whistle blew Nov. 19, 2022, against Brigham Young University, senior defensive back Darrius Nash’s extensive collegiate football career came to an end.
Nash had a unique college career that can be mirrored by very few. He watched former Dixie State University gain Division I status and go through an entire name change to Utah Tech University in 2022.
Nash sat his freshman season as a redshirt then played in every game his sophomore and junior years. Then unexpectedly, everyone in the world was greatly impacted by a pandemic, shutting down sports entirely. Once everything settled back down to a more normal state, Nash continued to play football.
Despite all of the change during his time in college, Nash kept a focus of working on his abilities to be a better football player. He spent a lot of time in practice and working out at Prolific Performance in St. George. Now, that hard work is paying off and will continue to pay off, as he accomplishes his dream by getting drafted to an NFL team this offseason.
Nash’s work ethic applies to things off the field as well. Not only did Nash graduate, but he did so as a double major in his time at Utah Tech. He graduated in 2021 with his bachelor’s degree in management and later on majored in recreation and sports management.
When asked about his career at Utah Tech, Nash said: “With the process we went through, there was never a dull moment. With COVID-19, we had to fight through some adversity. The next year was our first year officially being DI. There always was something that was keeping us going, keep fighting and making everything we go through worth it.”
Since the ending of the 2022 season, Nash has officially declared for the NFL draft. On Jan. 21 he posted a picture on his Instagram feed officially declaring his draft plans to the public.
The Instagram post said: “With much prayer, thought and counsel from family and close friends, I have decided to continue my journey and love for football and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. I am looking forward to the days and months ahead. I will continue to push through and overcome any obstacle along the way.”
If Nash is to get drafted this summer, he would join the likes of Hall of Famers Archie Amerson and Billy Sims as players who played football at then Dixie State/Utah Tech before playing professionally.
Currently, Nash is working out at different facilities in Utah and Texas that are helping him in getting ready for the NFL Combine. The 2023 NFL Draft will be April 27-29.
