Former Ohio State Star Darron Lee Arrested on First-Degree Murder Charges in Tennessee
Darron Lee, once a rising star in college football and a first-round NFL Draft pick, is now facing first-degree murder charges in Tennessee, according to law enforcement officials in Hamilton County. The 31-year-old former linebacker was taken into custody after authorities discovered the body of a woman in a residence in Ooltewah, a suburb just outside Chattanooga.
Police reports indicate that Lee has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not yet released the identity of the victim or a possible motive.
For those who followed Lee’s football journey, this news lands like a gut punch. He was a household name in Columbus, a key figure in one of the most memorable seasons in Ohio State history.
As a redshirt freshman in 2014, Lee burst onto the scene with a mix of speed, instinct, and playmaking ability that helped anchor a championship-caliber defense. That Buckeyes team captured the first-ever College Football Playoff national title, and Lee was right in the thick of it-racking up 81 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks on the year.
His defining moment came under the bright lights of the 2015 Sugar Bowl against Alabama. Lee was everywhere that night, tallying seven tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss.
He earned Defensive MVP honors as Ohio State took down the Crimson Tide and punched its ticket to the national title game. It was the kind of performance that etched his name into Buckeye lore.
Lee parlayed that standout college career into an early NFL selection, going 20th overall to the New York Jets in the 2016 Draft. He spent three seasons in New York, showing flashes of the athleticism and versatility that made him such a dynamic college player.
After his time with the Jets, he had brief stints with the Chiefs, Bills, and Raiders. He was part of the Chiefs’ roster during their Super Bowl LIV run, though he didn’t see the field during the postseason.
But as his football career faded, Lee’s life off the field began to spiral.
In April 2023, he was arrested in Dublin, Ohio, on charges of domestic violence and assault. The allegations were deeply troubling-accusations of physical assault involving both his mother and the mother of his child.
Police had reportedly been called to the residence multiple times. During that same incident, authorities also discovered cocaine in Lee’s possession, leading to felony drug charges.
Those incidents painted a picture of a man battling serious personal challenges in the aftermath of his playing days. But the latest developments in Tennessee represent a far more serious and tragic turn.
As of Friday evening, Lee remains in custody in Hamilton County. The investigation continues, and many questions remain unanswered.
For fans who once cheered him on as a fearless linebacker making game-changing plays on college football’s biggest stage, the news is both shocking and heartbreaking. What was once a promising career filled with potential has now been overtaken by a series of off-field incidents culminating in a situation that no one could have imagined when Lee first burst onto the scene in Scarlet and Gray.