Randy Starks

Randolph Starks Jr. (born December 14, 1983) is an American football coach and former player.

He is the head football coach at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, a position has held since 2024.

At the 2001 Maryland State Meet, he earned a second-place finish in the discus, with a throw of 43.28 meters (141 ft, 9 in), while also placing third in the shot put, with a throw of 15.80 meters (51 ft, 8 in).

In addition, he reportedly bench-pressed 320 pounds and had a 32-inch vertical leap.

Following high school, Starks chose to attend the University of Maryland, College Park over schools such as Penn State and Virginia Tech.

He wore No. 57 for the Maryland Terrapins football team.

Starks appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2001, including the Orange Bowl against Florida.

During the season, he recorded 35 tackles (24 solo), seven tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks.

His performance earned him a fourth-team All-American selection by Sporting News.

Starks was nominated for ACC Rookie of the Week honors following a game against Georgia Tech in which he recorded eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble in overtime.

As a sophomore in 2002, Starks appeared in all 14 games for the Terrapins including the Peach Bowl against Tennessee.

He earned second-team All-ACC honors after recording 93 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six passes defensed.

His tackle total ranked third on the team, his sack total second on the team while his 17 quarterback hurries led the team.

Prior to his junior season, Starks was named the preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN.com and was on the watchlist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy.

He appeared in 13 games for the Terrapins in 2003 on his way to first-team All-ACC honors.

He finished the season with 74 tackles (39 solo), 15.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defensed.

His tackles for a loss total led the team while ranking fourth in the conference.

Starks was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week following a game against Virginia in which he had eight tackles (five solo), three tackles for a loss and a sack of quarterback Matt Schaub.

Starks played professionally as a defensive end for 12 seasons, from 2004 to 2015, in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Browns.

He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins.

Starks was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

An army brat, Starks spent the first five years of his life in Germany because his father, Randolph, Sr., was stationed there with the United States Army.

He was eventually re-deployed to Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Starks attended Westlake High School in Waldorf, Maryland, where he was a letterman in football, basketball and track.

In football, he was an honorable mention all-state selection as a junior defensive tackle after recording 67 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles.

He was a SuperPrep All-American as a senior with 77 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles.

He also played offensive tackle during his final two seasons at Westlake.

Starks finished his prep career with 194 tackles while ranking third in school history in sacks.

Starks also earned four letters competing in basketball and track.

In basketball, he was the leading scorer and rebounder in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) as a junior.

As a senior, he led his team to a 23-3 record and was named Southern Maryland's Basketball Player of the Year by The Washington Post.

He finished his career with 1,011 points scored and 682 rebounds.

In track & field, Starks was a two-time state qualifier in both the shot put and discus throw.

Starks decided to forgo his senior season at Maryland and instead declare for the 2004 NFL Draft at the age of 20.

A two-time All-ACC selection, he finished his college career with 38 games played, 201 tackles (111 solo), 34 tackles for a loss, 17.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and nine passes defensed.

Key: GP – games played; Total – total tackles; Solo – solo tackles; Ast – assisted tackles; TFL – tackles for loss; Sck – quarterback sacks; FF – forced fumbles; FR – fumble recoveries; INT – interceptions; PD – passes defensed; TD – touchdowns

Prior to the 2004 NFL Draft, Starks attended the NFL Scouting Combine and met with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

In April, he visited with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Starks was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round (71st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.

The pick used to draft him was acquired from the Houston Texans in a draft day trade.