Bio

Derrick Deese is a Warrior for life.  An El Camino College (ECC) alumnus and a NFL offensive lineman, Derrick has been a longtime supporter of the ECC’s Warrior student-athletes and students throughout the state.  Don’t let his quiet demeanor or playful attitude fool you.  He is deeply dedicated to the college and the people who inspired him to be the man he is today.  Derrick, an offensive lineman who spent 14 years in the National Football League, saw much success inside the walls of the historic Murdock Stadium as an ECC Warriors football standout.  Success that almost didn’t happen.

Derrick grew up not far from ECC, where he played football for Culver City High School.  With few four-year college scholarship offers, at the conclusion of his senior year Derrick found himself lacking the passion to continue playing football.  Luckily, Gene Engle, longtime offensive line coach for the Warriors, walked into his life and convinced him to play. 

Derrick enrolled in ECC after graduating from Culver City High School in 1988.  He went on to become a two-year starter, an All-Conference and All-American selection.  During his two years at the college the Warriors were 19-2-1, and Derrick became one of the most highly recruited players in the country.  Derrick completed his associates degree in just one and a half years, and transferred to USC on a full scholarship.  

Derrick played with the USC Trojans from 1990-92 and was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention as a junior.  He graduated and went on to play 12 years with the San Francisco 49ers, who won Super Bowl XXIX, behind Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.  He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two years and more than 150 professional football games during his career.  Derrick was recently honored by the NFL as alumnus of the month for May 2016.

Now retired from professional football and sports radio, Derrick volunteers his time working with young people and running his PATCHWorks Foundation.  Known as “ECC football royalty,” Derrick is a 1996 inductee of the ECC Athletic Hall of Fame and can often be found cheering at Warriors football games.  Derrick credits ECC with getting him started on a successful academic and athletic career. He lives in Orange County with his four sons: Derrick Jr., Dontay, Devin, and Drew. 

His contributions to his community, El Camino College, and the community college system make him the type of student-athlete that we wish all our student-athletes could be.