You would never guess by the way Darren Waller speaks that he is just 27 years of age. What he’s been through and overcome in his young life has given him uncommon wisdom. His experiences with addiction are a cautionary tale he openly shares with others in the hopes he can keep others from going down the wrong path or turning their lives around.

For people who have struggled with substance abuse, times like this are exponentially difficult. As the saying goes ‘Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.’

Whether you are a religious person or not, the concept is the same. For people like Waller, it’s important to keep one’s mind and body busy with the right things. Really, it’s important for everyone. It’s just far more dangerous for him.

For that reason, he is just the person to whom you should listen for advice on how to get through times like this.

For many in the U.S. right now, going out and doing the things we would normally do is not an option. You may have to work from home, your kids may be out of school, the bars and entertainment venues are closed, and events canceled. And if you’re in a metropolitan area, you have been advised to stay at home. It can be a difficult time and simply doing nothing is not an option.

This is where Darren Waller comes in. He wrote a piece for the Player’s Tribune that has some great advice in it.

For the mind:

Maybe this is the perfect time for self-reflection, to cultivate your creative talents. This could be your opportunity to invest deeper and more meaningfully in your relationships — the important ones, where things might have fallen into disrepair. Enjoy the company of your family. In today’s world — so busy, bright and demanding — our greatest fear is sitting quietly with (and listening to) ourselves, because we are afraid of what we may discover.

And the body:

Pro tip: Core workouts can be done anywhere, anytime — without any equipment. As far as training goes, my core has been my main focus, along with push-ups and resistance-band training. This has also been a great time for me to dive deeper into stretching and foam-rolling in ways I haven’t before.

And those who struggle or have struggled with addiction:

In rehab, almost three years ago, I developed a prayer and meditation routine that I’ve been doing during my self-isolation. (I use the Insight Timer app.) I also watch some pastors online who have been holding morning prayer calls and reading brief messages every morning and night. (Shout-out to Michael Todd of Transformation Church and Dharius Daniels of Change Church!)

Since support-group meetings in my area have been canceled, I’ve been listening to audio recordings on the Narcotics Anonymous Speakers app. It’s one of the ways I’ve continued to discipline my mind while I’m stuck at the house. I’ve been trying to keep myself stimulated physically, mentally, creatively and spiritually, so checking in with the app really helps on that front.

Waller goes on to say he has gotten more into his music (D Wall) and he listens to podcasts, watches movies, and reads books. In addition, he reminds us to be thankful if you have others in your household to be shut in with. After all, many people have no one. So, be kind, and be gracious. For instance, he put out a challenge to not complain for 24 hours.

But he said the one message he would like to send to everyone it’s this:

Remember who you are. We are strong, resilient people who are capable of displaying love, kindness and patience in the most violent of storms. Remember all of the tough times and uncertain situations you have endured. We’re lucky to still have life.

Like I said, uncommon wisdom. The Raiders got a good one in Waller.

You can read the full article in The Player’s Tribune here.

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One of the more puzzling moves of the 2019 offseason was when the Raiders decided to allow tight end Jared Cook leave in free agency without ever offering him a contract extension. Cook was the team’s leading receiver in 2018, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns. He made his first career Pro Bowl that season, but the Raiders still decided to move on.

The biggest explanation for letting Cook leave was Darren Waller, who Jon Gruden fell in love with late in the 2018 season. However, it took a leap of faith by Gruden to rely on Waller to become the team’s starting tight end after just 18 receptions and multiple suspensions in his four previous seasons in the NFL.

That faith by Gruden and the rest of the coaching staff proved to be correct as Waller at a monster season for the Raiders, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, Waller was named the team’s most improved player in 2019:

(Darren) Waller was the overwhelming bright spot among Oakland’s pass-catching options, rising out of the depths of the Raiders’ roster to catch 90 passes for 1,146 receiving yards. Prior to last season, Waller didn’t even have a 100-yard season to his name in his four-year NFL career. Now, he enters the 2020 season as the fifth-highest graded tight end in the league last season. It’s hard to make a case for anyone else as the team’s most improved player after the kind of bump that Waller saw.

Waller might have made the biggest leap of any player this season as he went from a bottom-of-the-roster player to a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. But what is most exciting is that we haven’t even seen the ceiling of his game yet.

Waller can still improve significantly as a blocker and he could stand to become a more nuanced route runner. If those two things happen over the next few seasons, Waller has a legitimate chance to be the best tight end in the NFL. Look for the former Georiga Tech receiver turned tight end to be a more well-rounded player in his second full year of starting for the Raiders.

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One of the most inspiring stories of the 2019 NFL season was that of Raiders tight end Darren Waller. A supremely gifted athlete whose NFL career nearly never happened due to substance abuse problems. He went from an NFL afterthought to putting up elite-level numbers in a few month’s time.

While we talk a lot about the player himself or the offense Jon Gruden runs as being primary factors in such a performance, often times the work of the tight ends coach goes unrecognized. Waller intends on giving Smith the credit he deserves tonight at the 6th annual Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards ceremony.

The event will support Coaching Corps’ mission to provide youth from low-income communities access to caring and well-trained coaches. The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards features top Bay Area professional athletes celebrating the profound influence of coaches on their lives and the community.

The presenters are all prominent Bay Area athletes whose lives have been shaped by the mentorship and transformative influence of caring coaches.

• Eric Paschall, Golden State Warriors forward, will honor Villanova head coach Jay Wright
• Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers defensive end, will honor his high school coach Joe Cattolico
• Stephen Piscotty, Oakland A’s outfielder, will honor his father Michael Piscotty
• Ron Wotus, San Francisco Giants coach, will honor his high school coach John McKiernan
• Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders tight end, will honor Raiders tight ends coach Frank Smith

Waller has spoken openly about his struggles to kick his drug addictions that plagued him over the first four years of his NFL career which included him being suspended for the entire 2017 season. The world was introduced to his story in this year’s Hard Knocks which was held in Raiders training camp in Napa.

The former sixth-round pick out of Georgia Tech was a highly promising prospect. He nearly squandered several opportunities afforded him by the Baltimore Ravens who drafted him and ultimately found himself on the team’s practice squad.

Late in the 2018 season, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson convinced Gruden to give Waller a shot, so the team signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad and inserted him into the lineup for the final four games of the season. He impressed with his athleticism, but that was never in question.

What Waller needed was support, stability, and mentorship. He got that from Frank Smith.

Smith was added to Gruden’s staff in 2018 and was credited in part with helping Jared Cook have his best season as a pro at the age of 31.

Cook left in free agency to sign with the Saints, and the Raiders allowed it to happen because they saw big things for Waller. It was the kind of faith Waller probably wasn’t not expecting considering his NFL career arch so far.

Waller rewarded the Raiders’ faith in him with the second-best single-season numbers by a Raiders tight end in franchise history. Waller caught 90 passes for 1145 yards and 3 touchdowns, second only to Chiefs All-Pro Travis Kelce among tight ends.

Along with Waller’s breakout season, the Raiders got surprising contributions from rookie tight end Foster Moreau who had 21 catches for 174 yards and whose 5 touchdowns was second on the team despite missing the final three games to injury. It was Moreau’s talent that had the team let go of veteran tight ends Lee Smith and Luke Willson.

Throw in Derek Carrier, and the Raiders have plenty of versatility at the tight end position to run Gruden’s offense. That group was a highlight for the Raiders last season and Frank Smith deserved a shout out for his work in their emergence. He gets one tonight.

For those hoping to watch the Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, presented by Levi’s®, they will be airing Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Bay Area.

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