Athlete 1991 - 1994
Remembered for his quiet intensity as much as his tackling abilities, Darrin Causey ’95 supplied huge numbers, many memories and moments of inspiration during a Hall of Fame career that spanned from 1991-94.
The three-time Mt. Hood League all-star and 1994 NAIA All-America linebacker still ranks high on the all-time tackles list and also helped the Wildcats win an impressive number of football games. With Causey in the lineup, Linfield claimed four consecutive MHL championships, competed in seven playoff games and reached the title game of the 1992 NAIA District 2 playoffs, all while accumulating a 34-9-1 record on the gridiron.
Individually, Causey enjoyed an immense amount of success. He set the single-game record for most tackles, ringing up an incredible 22 stops in a 7-0 victory against Western Oregon in October of 1994. None of those were bigger than a stop with 32 seconds left on fourth-and-goal that halted a sustained and potentially game-winning drive by the Wolves. It’s a play that remains fresh in the memory banks of Causey’s former coach, Ed Langsdorf. This performance earned him the NAIA National Player of the week.
“At his position he had the two most important attributes: he was a tough, physical player but beyond that, he was an athletic player,” Langsdorf said. “He had great mobility and great range, and could get around the field well. He always got to where he needed to be, with rather nasty intentions.”
After serving as backup to all-American Jon Yeakey as a rookie, Causey got the starting nod at linebacker to start the 1992 season.
In leading the Wildcats to their sixth appearance in the national championship – and first since 1986 – Causey totaled 96 tackles, including three sacks among five tackles for loss. He made an impressive 19 stops in the title game, a 26-13 loss against Findlay (Ohio), a single-game record that stood until he topped it two years later.
Though Linfield did not advance as deep in the playoffs the next two seasons, Causey was no less effective at the linebacker position. As a junior in 1993, he made 60 stops, including eight behind the line of scrimmage, recorded his first career interception and broke up two other pass attempts. By the time his senior season rolled around, Causey was an absolute menace for opposing linemen; of his career-high 99 tackles, 15 were for loss and nine took down the other team’s quarterback.
“He was a talented football player, but what stood out to me the most was how intense he was and how serious he was about playing the game, and playing well,” Langsdorf said. “I’ll always remember how he looked in the locker room before games. If anybody on our team was ready to play, it was Darrin. He was so consistent.”
He shared honors for the team’s most inspirational award as a junior in 1993, and at the end of his final season, was honored as the team’s most valuable player. The league’s coached tabbed him as the Mt. Hood League Defensive Player of the Year, and he was also selected as a first team all-American by both the NAIA and the American Football Coaches Association.
Entering the 2015 season, Causey still ranked second on the career unassisted tackles list (191) and fourth in total stops (232). His 85 tackles achieved during the 1994 season rank sixth in program history.
Causey, who holds a business degree from Linfield, has been with H&H Paving for the past 12-plus years, serving as project manager and estimator. He is married to former Wildcat track & cross country standout Sigi Knoll ’96, and the couple has two sons: Jack and Joey. When not coaching or attending his boys’ lacrosse and football games on Saturday afternoons, you may find Darrin in the grandstands at Maxwell Field; he has been a loyal season ticket holder for more than a decade.
