• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Clinical Trials
  • Resources
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare 2025
    • Hall Of Fame
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Obesity Resource Center
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • BDO Resource Library
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / / NFL Veteran Darryl Tapp: “Football Allowed Me To Trust In God”

NFL Veteran Darryl Tapp: “Football Allowed Me To Trust In God”

dtapp2Being an NFL player is stuff that dreams are made of. From the outside looking in, it looks like you're pretty much living the good life: you play in front of millions every weekend, have a fairly high salary and usually the best of what life has to offer. But most don't know what goes into that what makes the lifestyle and how to come out of it when your career is over.

Few know this better that NFL veteran Darryl Tapp. Tapp is a defensive end for the Detroit Lions. His NFL career started in 2006 and he’s been on 4 NFL teams so far, which makes him a league veteran. Tapp has played for the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, & the Washington Redskins in the past. He’s a native of Virginia and a proud Virginia Tech Hokie. Seeing that average NFL career lasts only 3-4 years, Darryl has been in 10 years.

In this exclusive interview we learn it's how Darryl approaches the game of football that makes him a standout.

READ: Emmit Smith Explains What Life After Football Is Like

 

"I didn't play football until my 8th grade year. I just wanted to be like my older brother," explains Tapp. "I really didn't start having a love for the game until sophomore year in college."

"I'm just blessed to live out a childhood dream. To play a game for a kings's ransom is a great blessing. The only two jobs I've had was cutting grass and play football. And I thank God I never have to go back to cutting grass."

"Faith plays a big part of this game," Tapp confesses.

"Playing football allowed me to trust in the Lord more than ever. There are so many things that happen at this level besides the game itself; politics, issues, etc. We have a 100% injury rate in this game. Different situationss come up in the course of your career that put things in perspective. This is not who I am, this is what I do. This is not the most important things, this is just something I enjoy doing."

Treating Your Body Like A Temple

"The first two to four weeks do nothing. After coming off a full season of football your body just needs to rest.
Then two weeks after that I start back doing cardio, Pilates, cycling weight lifting on my own. Then it's time work with the team."

dtappDuring the season you have to be meticulous about your body:

  • Mondays: each first day after the game, I stretches, take ice baths
  • Tuesdays: are usually off days for NFL players, so I go to chiropractor
  • Wednesdays: Go to an acupuncturist and go running
  • Thursdays: Another visit to the chiropractor
  • Fridays: Massage, stretching to ensure body is loose for the game
  • Saturdays: stretch

"I also get a pedicure every two weeks. You're in cleats 300 days out of the year and you have to take care of your feet. If you don't it will hinder your game. You have to take care of your feet," explains Tapp.

"You're pretty much in a car wretch every time you step on the field. So you have to take care of your body.

On Concussions & Injuries
"The best thing you can do as a player is to make sure you have the best equipment available. Make sure you......have the right fit so that it will absorb as much shock as possible. Besides that, you've got to learn how to play the game properly."

"So much time is spent on how to tackle, how to take care of your body so you will reduce injuries. Things like tackling with your head up, not using the crown of your head. Things that help out a lot. When you play a physical sport, you have to be prayerful and do what you can to minimize those effects."

On What He Feeds His Body
My wife is a personal trainer so she helps me out a lot. I drink a lot water. Juice is a very minimum. I eat a lot of vegetables and add protein like salmon to maintain my body mass.

On Having A Healthy Relationship
I've been blessed with a healthy women and a Godly woman. I've had to learn how leave football at work. Leave work at work. If I have a bad play or a bad day at work, I've learned to leave that out of our home and focus on home life.

By Derrick Lane | Published January 10, 2016

The Latest In

Former Miss Universe Contestant Dies by Suicide at 26

Tyra Spaulding, who once competed for the Miss Universe Jamaica crown, has passed away at the young age of 26. Local outlet Caribbean National Weekly reported that her relatives found her unresponsive in her apartment on September 23. Police are read more about Former Miss Universe Contestant Dies by Suicide at 26
allergies

Prepping for Fall Allergies: What EVERY Black Parent Should Know

Summer ain’t over yet, but it’s never too early to get prepared.  While June, July, and August may bring scorching temps and blazing sunshine, for many people, it’s fall when certain issues set in. We’re talking allergies, and for many read more about Prepping for Fall Allergies: What EVERY Black Parent Should Know
bias

California’s Antibias Training Requirement for Doctors — Implications for Black Patients

Critics of affirmative action are making a long-shot appeal to halt California's requirement of unconscious bias training in every continuing medical education class for doctors, according to a report from California Healthline. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit read more about California’s Antibias Training Requirement for Doctors — Implications for Black Patients

‘This Isn’t a Solo Fight’: Prostate Cancer Survivor Montell Jordan & Wife Open Up on 2nd Treatment Start, Film and Faith

Just days away from starting proton therapy treatment, Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Montell Jordan and wife, Kristin, open up about facing the unimaginable: the recent return of Montell's prostate cancer. They sat down with BlackDoctor.org to wrap up Prostate Cancer read more about ‘This Isn’t a Solo Fight’: Prostate Cancer Survivor Montell Jordan & Wife Open Up on 2nd Treatment Start, Film and Faith
COVID

How to Tell If its Covid, The Flu, A Cold or Allergies

If the coronavirus wasn't enough, it's also cold and flu season. AND...if that wasn't enough, we are also going into allergy season (it's a lot, I know). But don't worry, while some of the symptoms of all four are similar, read more about How to Tell If its Covid, The Flu, A Cold or Allergies
beetroot juice

6 Impressive Reasons to Drink Beetroot Juice

While the reasons aren’t always clear, many people don’t consume beetroot as often as they should. One potential issue they may have is the taste. Since beetroots are red, some expect them to be sweet or fruit-like. Unfortunately, nothing could read more about 6 Impressive Reasons to Drink Beetroot Juice

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Icon

The Lupus Journey: Navigating Life As A Black Lupus Warrior

1 file(s) 756 KB
Download

Trending Articles

How to Tell If its Covid, The Flu, A Cold or Allergies

COVID

9 Signs Of Adult ADHD Most Overlooked

Man In Suit Concentrating On Laptop

Prepping for Fall Allergies: What EVERY Black Parent Should Know

allergies
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Resource Centers

  • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Clinical Trials
  • Wellness on the Yard
  • Cancer
  • Immunocompromised Care
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Careers
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2025, Black Doctor, Inc. All rights reserved.