J. Darin Darst was born and raised in South Florida and has lived there all his life (except for that one fateful semester at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa).

He graduated from Florida International University with a degree in Mass Communications and is proud to have attended the same school as Andy Garcia, Mike Lowell and Raja Bell.

Before joining CBSSports.com in March 2000, he worked eight years at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and three years as an assistant sports information director.

But his greatest accomplishment came on Aug. 3, 2006 as he and his wife, Cynthia, welcomed their first child, Samantha, into the world. All three live with their two football-loving cats (Blitz and Rookie) in Fort Lauderdale.