When former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a season-ending ACL injury just two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, it seemed as if the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary might be in some trouble.
Thankfully for Dallas, second-year cornerback DaRon Bland has stepped up for the Cowboys in a big way.
Bland, who won NFL Defensive Player of the Week after last week’s 33-10 win over the Carolina Panthers where he recorded a pick-six, did it again for the Cowboys in their 45-10 Thanksgiving win over the Washington Commanders, taking a Sam Howell pass 63 yards to the end zone.
"2nd and 10… THERE IT IS! THIS IS HISTORY!
IF BLAND CAN TAKE IT THE DISTANCE, THIS WOULD BE THE RECORD!
BLAND FOR THE FIFTH TIME HAS A PICK SIX!
IT'S NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL!" ~ Jim Nantz goes crazy as Cowboys DB Daron Bland makes NFL history with his… pic.twitter.com/TRjAion9Ok
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 24, 2023
Bland’s fifth pick-six of the season broke the previous record of four that he was tied with Eric Allen, Ken Houston, and Jim Kearney for.
Devin Hester holds the record for most touchdowns in a single season by a non-offensive player when he recorded six in 2006 and 2007, but his were all kick and punt return touchdowns, not interception returns. Bland still has six more weeks to tie Hester’s record, too.
Bland was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, after spending time at both Sacramento State and Fresno State. He was named to the All-Big Sky first team after the 2019 season.
The Cowboys are now tied with the San Francisco 49ers for most takeaways in the NFC with 19.
