Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland eager to be remembered by setting new NFL record
Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland hit the top of the NFL record books on Sunday when he scored his fourth pick-six of the 2023 season. Though he accomplished a feat that hasn’t been done in three decades, the former Fresno State Bulldog is eager to one-up himself. If he can snag one more pick-six in the next seven games, he will stand alone and solidify himself as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“It just makes another goal to break it,” Bland said after the win over the Panthers, via DallasCowboys.com. “I think it was when I touched the end zone, it was like, ‘Wow, I just did it. I tied the record.’
“I’m level-headed now and I want to go break it. It wasn’t really about the record. It’s really about being in the history books, being remembered.”
Bland is well on his way to being remembered, certainly by Cowboys fans. He went from being a great depth piece to one of the best cornerbacks in the league this season following the season-ending injury to Trevon Diggs.
Only three other NFL players have grabbed four interceptions and returned those for a score in one season – Eric Allen (1993), Ken Houston (1971) and Jim Kearney (1972). Bland still has seven games left to break the NFL’s single-season record and set his own with five.
He reached four faster than any of his predecessors. Over the last two seasons, Bland has recorded 11 interceptions. Diggs, an All-Pro, had 14 in his first two seasons, including a league-leading 11 in his second season with Dallas.
Bland making strong case for All-Pro list
Diggs has already called for his young teammate to make the All-Pro list this season and the calls are coming from all over the team now. Micah Parsons, who tied his career-high of 2.5 sacks on Sunday, wants Bland to be right there in the DPOY conversation with him.
“He’s having a Defensive Player of the Year-type year,” Parsons said on Sunday. “He should be a lock for All-Pro. He’s on a remarkable, unbelievable run right now.”
While Parsons ranks second the the Vegas odds for DPOY this season, Bland now ranks 12th with +8000 odds.
The Cowboys drafted DaRon Bland with the No. 24 pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After the injury to Anthony Brown last year, he proved to be a critical piece for Dallas. He notched a team-leading five interceptions last season.
Bland is in his second year of a four-year, $3.9 million rookie deal. When extension time comes up for the 2022 draft class, he’ll likely be at the top of the list.