Contributed by S. Jacobs
This is the sporting equivalent to VH1’s ‘Where Are They Now’, with some Detroit flare. Enjoy!
Every so often, while journeying through the inter webs, I come across some things that make me say “Dang!” I’m not talking 4 Girls/1 Cup “Dang!” but more along the lines of Breaking Bad was the prequel to Malcolm in the Middle “Dang!”
I have been debating when to release this guy’s identity. I thought would be fun to make it a guessing game, but some of the accolades would be a dead giveaway. So for this particular post, I’m going to be up front about it; this way, when you go “Dang!, I forgot about that guy” you may be intrigued to read on. Or you’ll be repulsed and/or a true and faithful follower of the obscure.
Todd Jeffrey Duckett. You may know him better as TJ, Diesel, or more currently, The RainMaker.
You should know his obvious connection to Detroit Sports. The major one is as a standout running back at Michigan State under the one and only Nick Saban (even if only for a couple years). Secondly, this dude is from Kalamazoo. Thirdly, he was the second leading rusher on the Lions in 2007…behind Kevin Jones…with only 2 more RUSHING TD’s than that of rookie Calvin Johnson. He also has 2 tackles that year; I don’t want to cheat him.
So what has Diesel been up to since the Seahawks released him in 2008? Well, according to tjduckett.com, it’s hard to say. Although he doesn’t deny that TJ exists/existed, he is now Todd Duckett, “Reborn and Rewired.” He also has an avatar that resembles a cartoon version of Matisyahu (see below). Todd seems to wear many hats, and has found his purpose in life. Purpose beyond giving MSU slappies a reason to talk about Jeff Smoker; and to that I say “Awesome!” His new identity “is rooted in personal value, philanthropic dedications, business endeavors, speaking passions, spiritual awakening and overall rewiring.”
Todd promotes his various endeavors via his website. The first of which is Simple-Ts. The link on the website seems to be broken, but you can find it with a simple search. It appears to be a small scale, not for profit printing company. Nowhere can I find how Mr. Duckett…this is weird, he is, and always will be TJ to me. Nowhere can I find how TJ is involved with this company, but he reps it real hard. The second endeavor is a community outreach project called New World Flood. I didn’t go too deep here. On some real high level research, the idea is that every flood starts with a raindrop, and that each of us is a raindrop of service and sacrifice. They seemed to be pretty busy in 2012, but there has not been much in the media aside from providing Thanksgiving meals in 2013-present. The third venture is Duckett Brother Distributing, where, per their tag line, they “never drop the ball”. Bare bones, it’s a janitorial supply company that his brother, Tico, founded and TJ later became a partner.
I tried watching a speech of his to some high schoolers, but I didn’t make it more than 2 minutes in. Maybe I’m quick to judge, but it just wasn’t for me. Seems like his heart is in the right place and I’m happy there is life after football for TJ. After the uncovering I did, I feel like there is a piece missing surrounding his exit from football. I mean, the guy had 8 TDs on 60-odd carries and 170-something yards before a vanished. He had an obvious role on the field, no major injuries, just 8 years in…
You can find out more about his charity and events from his twitter, @ToddDuckett. YouTube also provides a myriad of highlight reels and some “Todd” after football as well.
There you have it. Todd “TJ” Duckett is alive and well.
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