He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls and was selected by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft.

In track & field, Starks was one of the states top performers in the long jump (PR of 7.00 meters), and also recorded an 11.14 100-meter dash time.

[citation needed] Starks's rookie season finished with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in which he rushed for 52 yards on 11 carries.

[9] He ended the postseason with the third-most rushing yards for a rookie running back in a single playoffs behind Timmy Smith in 1987 and Jamal Lewis in 2000.

[11] Prior to the 2014 season, Starks and the Packers agreed on a two-year contract worth $3.165 million with the expectation that he would be the backup to Eddie Lacy.

[16] After missing so much time due to injury, Starks adjusted his style of play to be more conservative, evading tackles instead of absorbing or breaking them.

[11] During the 2015 season, starter Eddie Lacy's playing time decreased due to issues with conditioning and his violations of the team's curfew.

[11][17] In March 2016, after visiting with the New England Patriots, Starks, an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a two-year contract to return to the Packers.

[17] On October 16, 2016, Starks, who had been second on Green Bay's depth chart behind Eddie Lacy, underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.