He played college football at the University of Miami, and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft.

Buchanon also played for the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins before retiring after the 2011 season.

[1] He joined the Hurricanes' track team in 2001, and won the 60 meters at the Meyo Invitational, recording a career-best time of 6.79 seconds.

On April 25, 2005, the Raiders traded Buchanon to the Houston Texans for a second and third round pick in the 2005 NFL draft.

After re-signing with the Redskins for the 2011 season, Buchanon was suspended by the team for four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

After seven years he realized the new home's upkeep was more than he could afford, and Buchanon offered his mother a choice: he would either pay her a lump-sum, or buy a smaller house outright with no mortgage for her and his younger siblings to occupy.

[12] In 2016, Buchanon launched a board game, New Money: Staying Rich, designed to teach principles of financial literacy and management.