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Darrell Akeem Luter Jr. (born April 24, 2000) is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Alabama.
Early years
Luter was born on April 24, 2000, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He attended Oak Grove High School and played football for three years, basketball for two years and track for one year. Despite many of his teammates being highly recruited (including six who signed with Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams), Luter was not, and eventually committed to Pearl River Community College.
College career
Luter played at Pearl River from 2018 to 2019, being named second-team all-conference as a sophomore. 247Sports ranked him a three-star junior college recruit and among the top 40 cornerbacks nationally, and after graduating from the school he signed with South Alabama. He appeared in all 11 games in his first year with the team, and although he was for most of the season third-string on the depth chart, Luter was able to tie for the team lead in tackles among players at cornerback.
Luter had a breakout year in 2021, placing third in the FBS in pass breakups while posting four interceptions and only allowing receptions on 26.7% of the passes thrown at him. Pro Football Focus (PFF) named him a second-team All-America selection after the season. As a senior in 2022, he recorded seven pass breakups and only one interception, partly attributed to being targeted less by quarterbacks. Luter was invited to the 2023 Senior Bowl and finished his stint at South Alabama having only allowed catches on 45.3% of passes thrown at him, while recording 17 pass breakups and drawing only six penalties.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄4 in (1.82 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | 32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.46 s | 1.57 s | 2.58 s | 4.38 s | 6.90 s | 40.5 in (1.03 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||
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Luter was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (155th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the 2023 season. On November 18, he was activated from the reserve/PUP.
During the third quarter of Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, Luter was charged with a fumble after he failed to get out of the way of a Tommy Townsend punt that struck his foot. On the very next play the Chiefs scored and took the lead.