Dan Skipper

Dan Skipper's Biography

Daniel “Dan” Skipper was born on September 20, 1994, in Arvada, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. This birthplace was significant as Skipper was destined to become the tallest active player in the National Football League (NFL). Standing at an impressive 6 feet 10 inches, his height certainly set him apart in the field. He is a professional American football offensive tackle and has notably played for the Detroit Lions, among other teams.

Skipper attended and played football while at Ralston Valley High School. His junior year saw him significantly contribute to the team’s impressive 10-2 record, pushing them all the way to the state playoffs’ quarterfinals. His Senior year was no less successful, with Skipper assisting Ralston Valley’s journey to the state semifinals and earning himself 5A all-state honors. This athletic prowess guaranteed him multiple athletic scholarship offers. Ultimately, the University of Arkansas won out as his preferred choice.

The young offensive guard’s collegiate career started off strong and didn’t dwindle. During his freshman year, he managed to appear in all 12 games, eventually starting the final eight at right offensive guard. This year saw him blocking an unheard-of single-season school record of three field goal attempts. His skillful performance notably factored into Alex Collins—his team’s running back—becoming the tenth true freshman in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) history to rush for 1,000 yards. This achievement enabled Collins and Jonathan Williams to become a record-setting running back duo, as both surpassed 900 rushing yards in the same season. His impressive performance did not go unrecognized, as he was hailed as a Freshman All-American.

Skipper’s sophomore year was just as, if not more successful. He started all 13 games at left tackle, becoming part of an offensive line that lead the SEC with a mere 14 sacks allowed. This led to him earning the Associated Press All-SEC honorable-mention.

His promising performance continued into his junior and senior years. He began his junior year with 13 starts at right tackle, which earned him the title of second team All-SEC. As a senior, he started all 13 games at left tackle, securing his place on the All-SEC team as voted by Coaches Poll, ESPN, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, Lindy’s Sports, and Sporting News. This year he contributed to yet another record-setting performance, with Rawleigh Williams III winning the SEC regular rushing title and Austin Allen throwing for a record 3,430 yards.

Throughout his college career, he appeared in 51 games and managed a significant 47 straight starts. Despite his impressive track record, the 2017 NFL draft saw Skipper go undrafted, shocking many sports enthusiasts. There were speculations that a chronic blood condition discovered during prospect evaluations may have influenced this decision. However, not one to be kept down, Skipper was given the opportunity to attend the Dallas Cowboys’ rookie minicamp as a tryout candidate. This resulted in his signing as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys after the draught on May 16, 2017.

His professional career was equally as tumultuous and impressive as his college career. Over the years, Skipper played for numerous NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Houston Texans. He was part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII Championship team in 2019, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.

His most recent contract was signed with the Detroit Lions on January 10, 2022. However, he was later released, and after a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts, he returned to the Lions’ practice squad on September 20, 2023. He went on to play well in a game against the Cowboys, before a controversial call involving an illegal touching penalty denied the Lions a win. Nonetheless, Skipper re-signed with the Lions on March 14, 2024.