Commander Country

Commanders DB Darrick Forrest Shows 'Confidence' in First NFL Start vs. Jaguars

Forrest started for the first time in his NFL career Sunday.

Jeremy Brener

Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Washington Commanders defensive back Darrick Forrest is waking up Monday after arguably the greatest game of his football life.

The second-year pro out of Cincinnati started his first NFL game Sunday in a 28-22 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he recorded the game-winning interception. He also recorded five tackles and two passes defensed.

"I just feel like it was my progression over the offseason," Forrest said. "I just want to say thank you to the people around me."

Forrest, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, played just 26 defensive snaps last season and was mostly seen on special teams. But after an injury to starting safety Kam Curl forced him to sit out the season opener, Forrest stepped up in his place. Cornerback William Jackson III knows how long the journey has been for Forrest and has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the young defensive back.

“I’m just super proud of him because I can remember a year ago, he didn’t know where to go or how to start," Jackson said after Sunday's game. "But now, just to see him go out there and do that man, I was just super happy for him and I can’t wait to celebrate with him.”

The biggest difference between Forrest's game this year and last year? His confidence.

“I mean, he’s just put a lot of work in in [sic] the film room," Jackson said. "We all get together and go through plays. Just to see him go out there with that confidence. I mean, before the game he was kind of nervous, but just to see him go out there with that confidence and put on a show like that. That was amazing.” 

While Forrest surprised a lot of people with his performance on Sunday, someone that wasn't all that shocked was Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, who praised Forrest several times leading up to the game.

“Well, what you’ve seen from DeFo [Forrest] is you see him playing very fast,” Rivera said in a press conference Friday. “He’s very physical. After Kam [Curl], he’s probably one of our more physical guys. He’s a downhill player. He’s very active. He plays with his eyes pretty well. He sees a lot. I like his ability to run. He’s got good quickness. He’s quick in a small area, confined area. And he can turn and run.”

His physicality led to one of the biggest hits in the game during the second quarter on Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, who fumbled the ball after a big hit.

He also was able to generate the play that sealed the win for the Commanders on the team's final defensive possession.

Although Forrest excelled in his first game as a starter, he likely will move back to the second unit once Curl returns. However, a game like this can only help Forrest, his confidence, and Washington's defensive back depth moving forward.

Forrest and the Commanders will rest up for the next few days before preparing to face the Detroit Lions Sunday at 1 p.m.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News