Derrick Deese Jr. (born August 19, 1998)[1] is an American football tight end for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at San Jose State. He went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft and was subsequently picked up by the Detroit Lions.

Derrick Deese Jr.
No. 82 – Michigan Panthers
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1998-08-19) August 19, 1998 (age 26)
La Palma, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:John F. Kennedy (La Palma, California)
College:Golden West (2016–2018)
San Jose State (2018–2021)
Undrafted:2022
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Deese was born on August 19, 1998, in La Palma, California.[1] He played high school football at John F. Kennedy High School. He was a two-star recruit.[2] He recorded 431 receiving yards on 25 receptions as a senior.[3]

College career

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Golden West College

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Deese's first touchdown in the college ranks came in the first week of the season against Glendale. He registered a 36-yard touchdown reception, his one and only reception of the game in the 33–0 win.[4] That would be Deese's only touchdown reception of the year as he finished with 155 receiving yards in six games.[5]

In his sophomore year in 2017, Deese recorded his first touchdown reception of the season against Cerritos. He brought in four receptions for 31 yards and one touchdown in the 23–36 loss.[6] On September 30, he recorded his first 100-yard receiving game of his career against Long Beach. He put up 111 yards on five receptions and one touchdown in the 24–52 loss.[7]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3+14 in
(1.91 m)
244 lb
(111 kg)
33+58 in
(0.85 m)
10+14 in
(0.26 m)
4.93 s 1.65 s 2.84 s 31.0 in
(0.79 m)
10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)
18 reps
All values from Pro Day[8]

Detroit Lions

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Deese went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. He was signed by the Detroit Lions on April 30.[9] However he was released by the Lions during their final offseason roster cutdown.[10] He would remain a free agent until he was scooped up by the Lions again on January 11, 2023. He signed a futures contract with the team.[11][12] He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on July 20, 2023.[13] Deese was waived by the Detroit Lions on August 2, 2023.[14]

Houston Roughnecks

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On January 19, 2024, Deese signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL).[15]

Michigan Panthers

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On February 15, 2024, Deese signed with the Michigan Panthers.[16]

Personal life

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Deese is the son of former Super Bowl XXIX champion offensive lineman Derrick Deese.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Derrick Deese Jr. Biography". espn.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Derrick Deese Jr., John F. Kennedy, Tight End". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Derrick Deese Jr. - Football - SJSU Athletics". sjsuspartants.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "GOLDEN WEST at GLENDALE - September 3, 2016 - 6:00p.m. - Boxscore". gwcathletics.com. September 3, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  5. ^ "Derrick Deese - Golden West College Athletics".
  6. ^ "Golden West at Cerritos Falcons - September 23, 2017 - 7:00p.m. - Boxscore". gwcathletics.com. September 23, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Long Beach at Golden West - September 30, 2017 - 1:00 PM - Boxscore". gwcathletics.com. September 30, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  8. ^ "2022 NFL Draft Scout Derrick Deese Jr. College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "TE Derrick Deese Jr. signs with Detroit Lions". detroitsportsnation.com. April 30, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "Lions release rookie TE Derrick Deese from the practice squad". lionswire.usatoday.com. September 6, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Lions sign TE Derrick Deese Jr. to reserve/future contract". lionswire.usatoday.com. January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  12. ^ "Lions' Derrick Deese: Inks futures deal". CBS Sports. January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Crawford, Kirkland (July 20, 2023). "Detroit Lions place rookie QB Hendon Hooker, two others on non-football injury list". Freep.com.
  14. ^ "Lions officially sign 2 tight ends, place Emmanuel Moseleley on PUP".
  15. ^ "The UFL Agree to Terms with 42 Players". UFLBoard.com. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Larsen, James (February 15, 2024). "Michigan Panthers Add TE Derrick Deese Jr. & OL Denzel Okafor". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  17. ^ delos Santos, Justice (November 25, 2020). "Championship pedigree: Two SJSU standouts share 49ers Super Bowl bloodlines". The Mercury News. Retrieved December 23, 2020.