Background and career
Phillip Darren Buchanon (born September 19, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. Buchanon also played for the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins before retiring after the 2011 season.
Buchanon played high school football at Lehigh Senior High School in Lehigh Acres, Florida where he started at both running back and defensive back. During his senior year, he earned an All-State selection. He finished his career with 102 tackles and seven interceptions. He also lettered in basketball, track, and baseball. Buchanon was also on the school's track & field team, where he was a standout sprinter for three seasons. He posted personal bests of 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.8 in the 200 meters, and was also timed at 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He joined the Hurricanes' track team in 2001, and won the 60 meters at the Meyo Invitational, recording a career-best time of 6.79 seconds.
Buchanon played college football at the University of Miami. During his junior year, he earned All-American honors as a returner and was a finalist for the Mosi Tatupu Award. He finished his career with 88 tackles and seven interceptions on defense, and 32 punt returns for 477 yards and two touchdowns as a returner. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.31 40-yard dash, tied for the fastest time in 2002.
Buchanon was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2002 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with the Raiders recording 122 tackles and 11 interceptions.
On April 25, 2005, the Raiders traded Buchanon to the Houston Texans for a second and third round pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He spent two years in Houston playing in 14 games, recording 37 tackles. He played four games for the Texans in 2006 before being released on October 16, 2006.
Buchanon signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 17, 2006. He finished the 2006 season with the Buccaneers recording 24 tackles and intercepting two passes. During 2007, he took over as the Buccaneers starting cornerback alongside Ronde Barber due to Brian Kelly's struggles with injury.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
