Darius pictured with his salesman, Mark “Flop” Fleege
Runde’s was recently honored to have San Francisco 49ers draft pick, Darius Fleming, come in to Runde Chevrolet to pick up a smoking hot Black Camaro coupe! Darius played for Notre Dame as an outside linebacker and is training for the 49ers currently. He found time to come from his training camp in Lake Forest, IL to pick up his Camaro from our salesman, Mark Fleege.
Darius was gracious enough to let us interview him. You might be surprised by some of his unique talents and what he has in common with the movie “Rudy”!
Are you originally from the area?
No, I’m from the south side of Chicago. I grew up in the Beverly area, right off of Western Ave. around 119th.
Did you have a nickname growing up?
My nickname was Baby-D, because I was named after my uncle. Since his name was Darius as well, they called me Baby-D so when somebody would say “Darius” it wasn’t so confusing.
How long have you wanted the Camaro?
Recently, actually. I’ve been driving my Dodge Intrepid since I was 15. My Intrepid has 186,000 miles on it and it’s actually still running well, but it’s kind of starting to fall apart and I just wanted to treat myself to something new. I looked up the Camaro, the Challenger and the Charger. I really liked all three of them, but the Camaro kind of stood out to me. And coming here, I have a really good relationship with you guys now and I really like the car.
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by jonnykeelty
Where’s the first place you’ll take your car when you get back home?
Actually a friend of mine is performing in Dekalb, IL so I’m probably going to try to catch that for a little bit on my way back to Lake Forest, IL where I’m staying to train.
Is he a professional singer?
He [Nathan Palmer] is actually a football player. He’s playing with me and signed a free agent deal with San Francisco and sings for a hobby as well. He’s good, he only does it in his free-time, and doesn’t let it interfere with his football. He’s actually opened up for Drake and Lil Wayne.
What is one talent you have that most people would be surprised to hear?
I’m a pretty avid bowler and I ride horses. I’ve been riding horses since I was 6 and started bowling around the same time. I’m pretty solid at bowling. I went to London when I was 15 for the Junior Olympics. Bowling was my first sport but then I started playing football in high school and it kind of took over my life.
Do you still go bowling a lot?
Just as a hobby, for fun. I recently went bowling with my old high school for a fundraiser and that was the last time I’ve been bowling in a while.
What’s your highest bowling score?
289.
Was playing for Notre Dame as magical as the movie “Rudy” made it out to be?
It’s funny because it was. I wore his number as well, #45, so me and Rudy have a little relationship. It was everything that the movie displayed. Every kid dreams of going there and they should, because it’s a special time you can only experience if you do it. I really enjoyed every bit of it and I think it’s helped me shape the way I am right now.
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by SupremeCrete
Did you have a favorite hang out spot in South-Bend?
I didn’t go out that much. When I did, I would hang out at the locker-room where we had a really nice entertainment setup with a game-room. Most of the time we would hang out in there, but if we did go out we’d go to a couple of places in town, Chipotle [Mexican Grill] was probably our favorite place to go, we found ourselves there quite a bit.
What does your diet consist of now that you’re training?
Right now it’s a lot different. I don’t eat fast-food, really. I cook my food a lot because my diet is kind of strict. I stay away from sweets and sugars because they just turn into fat. I usually eat chicken and fish and every now and again I’ll eat some steak. I’ve been pretty disciplined with my diet and it’s working out really well.
What is the thing you’ll miss the most about playing for Notre Dame?
My teammates. The guys that you’ve built relationships with for the last four years are all going their separate ways now. You have to build new friendships with grown men who look at the game a little different from what the guys did in college.
Who’s the fastest player you’ve had to cover on the field?
I’ll have to give a shout-out to my teammate Michael Floyd (2012 1st draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals). In practice, every day going against that kid was pretty difficult. He challenged me a lot and hopefully I did the same for him.
How do you think you’ll fit in with the 49ers considering that they have the best defense in the league right now and they were just a couple of points away from going to the Super Bowl last year?
I think I can definitely be an outlet for them. I think I can add to the unit. They have a great defense and I think I can fit in well with the guys they have. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of being mentored by some of those great players and linebackers like Patrick Willis. I think it’ll benefit me in the years to come.
Darius Fleming shaking hands with Greg Runde.
With all the different coaches you’ll be working with, do you think you’ll have much one-on-one interaction with Jim Harbaugh?
That’s a tough question, I’m not really sure. I know he’s a big defensive-minded guy so I’m sure he has a lot of connections with the linebackers and other guys on defense. I’m sure he’ll have his share and say of what we do and have his relationship with us and have a presence in the defense.
Who on the 49ers are you most excited to meet and have a chance to learn from?
Oh, definitely Patrick Willis. He’s still a young linebacker but he’s proved himself to be one of the best line-backers in the NFL. I know he has the ability to teach me as a young player coming in. Hopefully he’ll teach me the in-an-outs of the pro game. I hope one day I can play like him.
What’s your favorite movie of all-time?
Remember the Titans.
Favorite Song?
Ahh… that’s a tough one…I don’t know if I can point out one song.
Snickers, Kit-Kat or M&M’s?
Definitely Snickers. If you’re hungry you gotta grab a Snickers.
What NFL team did you root for as a kid?
Being from Chicago it would have to be the Bears. Just a home-town kid that cheered for every team that was in the city, you know; Bears, Bulls , Sox, and Cubs.
If Brett Favre comes back from his 3rd retirement and you have a chance to play against him, how bad do you think you would mess him up on a sack?
Hopefully enough (laughs). He’s a great player definitely a guy that if he’s out there you want to get after him. If he ever comes back and plays against me someday, I hope I can get after him for my team to win.
What’s your best memory on the football field?
I think our last home game … that walk-out of the tunnel playing against Boston College this past year. That was a memorable moment because it was the last time I walked out with the guys I came in with. It was just a special moment for everybody just reminiscing about the last four years.
Anything you’d like to add about your experience at Runde’s?
If you need a car and good assistance for picking out a vehicle for the future to come, Runde’s is the spot!
Runde Chevrolet is very appreciative of Darius for deciding to purchase his Camaro from us. We realize how hard he has worked to get where his is today and we wish him the best as his path now takes him into the world of professional football.
Darius Fleming’s got some new horses
