NFL player Duane Starks has planned an extravagant weekend to celebrate his retirement from the National Football League. The Miami born athlete has commissioned friends actors Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, Allen Payne, Meagan Good, NFL colleagues Warren Sapp, Dante Culpepper, Edgerrin James; Agent Drew Rosenhaus and a host of other athletes, celebrities and entertainers to help him go out in high-class Miami style. With an elite guest list, the Duane Starks NFL Retirement & Charitable Weekend, Friday, May 15th – 17th, has already created a massive buzz.

The star-studded weekend will include a Welcome Party, Celebrity Roast, and Beach Bash. All of the proceeds raised during the weekend will help to fund the Starks Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to ignite hope and opportunity to economically challenged youth and families; and research for Hyperglycemia.

WHO:
DUANE STARKS
NFL RETIREMENT & CHARITABLE WEEKEND

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Friday, May 15th
Welcome Party
The Bentley Hotel
101 Ocean Drive Miami Beach
9:00pm-2:00am
Hosted by TBA
Music by DJ Free Style Steve

Saturday, May 16th
Youth Fun Day
Gibson Park, 401 NW 12th Ave Miami, Fl
10:00am-3:00pm
*A free event for the children of Overtown.
Food, fun, games, celebrity appearances
and entertainment.

Saturday, May 16th
Retirement Reception & Celebrity Roast
Karu & Y, 71 NW 14th Street Miami, Fl
5:00pm-10:00pm
Hosted by Actor/Comedian Katt Williams
*Invitation only event
*After party immediately following
(Open to public)
Sunday, May 17th
Beach, Ballers & Bikini Bash
Presented by G3 Jewelry
Royal Palm Hotel, 1545 Collins Avenue
1:00pm-6:00pm
* Pool party, jet skis and music by DJ Free
Style Steve (Timbaland’s Official DJ)

Duane L. Starks, a native Floridian, started his football career with a local Miami optimist football team at the early age of 8.

Throughout his formative years he continued to excel at the game of football. By the time he entered high school at Miami Beach Senior High, he held the quarterback position. To become a professional and recognizing the importance of education, Duane knew that college would be the next level. Little did he know the challenge he would be facing consisted of financial and educational difficulties. As a result, Duane was forced to attend an out-of-state junior college (Holmes Community College of Mississippi), later to return to Miami, only to find that some of the courses taken were not accredited for the University of his choice (University of Miami).

Duane's only recourse now, was to attend the local Miami-Dade Community College, where he successfully earned the proper credits to attend the University of Miami; ultimately becoming an outstanding defensive football player which has led to his professional career as NFL's Super Bowl XXXV Cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens.
Later Duane signed with the Arizona Cardinals which in 2005 landed him a starting position with the New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXIX Champions. Continuing in his career, March 2006, Duane signed with the Oakland Raiders landing him a starting position as cornerback there as well.

Personal Testimony
After experiencing his young daughter being airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), with the infant onset of hyper insulin, Duane Starks found yet another passion in the support of CHOP, who treated and nurtured his infant daughter to health.

Since its start in 1885, as the nation’s first hospital devoted exclusively to caring for children, CHOP has been the birthplace for many dramatic first in pediatric medicine. The hospital has fostered medical discoveries and innovations that have improved pediatric health care and save countless lives. Today, CHOP is one of the leading pediatric hospitals and research facilities in the world. In addition to the Starks Charitable Foundation, a portion of the funds raised during the MIH Weekend will be donated to continue research of Hyperglycemia.

(blackprwire.com)

CB Duane Starks should be happy that he's out of Oakland after learning of his release this week. A mere shadow of his former self, Starks needs to find a job with a winning team even if it's only for the veteran minimum. The 10th pick overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Ravens, Starks was a crafty and scrappy defensive back who stole 20 passes away from his opponents over the course of his four seasons in Baltimore. He even picked off a pass in the Ravens' Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.

But for the past two years, he's been a struggling veteran player attempting to resurrect his career with a struggling team. That rarely works. If he wants to be successful in this league again, he needs to find a defensive backs coach with a winning program who has the talent to spot what's gone awry with Stark's approach to the game both mentally and physically. And he has to surround himself with players who have a winning attitude and who won't accept anything from him but his best effort every day. I hope he finds that opportunity, because when his game was on he was great fun to watch.

(scout.miami.com)

Duane Starks was cut by the Oakland Raiders. Chances are he will probably retire after a successful career which included a Super Bowl win.





(ap.com)

The Oakland Raiders went back to an old friend to replace departed cornerback Chris Cash when they signed veteran Duane Starks to a one-year contract.

The 33-year-old Starks will be joining the Raiders for his third consecutive season. The veteran cornerback signed with the Raiders in 2006 and played three games. He was on the Raiders roster three games in 2007 before being released.

Starks is a former first-round pick who played for the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots before joining the Raiders.

(espn.com)

Raiders: The team re-signed veteran cornerback Duane Starks, who was an unrestricted free agent. He joined the Raiders last season but played in only three games on special teams and in a reserve role on defense.

(contracostatimes.com)

Raiders cornerback Duane Starks is going back to where he started. Excuse him if the jumps for joy are still on hold.

"I've got to be on the field for it to be something special," Starks said, while wondering if he'd play today when his new team, the Raiders, visits the Ravens, with whom his nine-year career began.

In the 2000 season, Starks led the Ravens with six interceptions in 15 starts as they went on to win Super Bowl XXXV.

This season, he's a backup cornerback who was cut after training camp, re-signed three days later, then put on the inactive list for the season opener at San Diego.

Starks sighting: Eight-year veteran cornerback Duane Starks is back on the 53-man roster, four days after the Raiders cut him. To make room for Starks, they waived safety Hiram Eugene, an undrafted rookie.

"I was on vacation," Starks said with a smile. "I'm back now and ready to work. I love football, so I'm definitely excited to be back."

Starks said the Raiders told him Saturday to "stick around" with the expectation of re-signing. The team never removed his name from his locker.

(sfgate.com)

The Raiders cut Duane Starks.
(rotoworld.com)