By Navin Krishnan (@NavinKthespear) – Reporter
The Bay Area has always been a hotspot for hometown heroism. For Derrick Deese, being a 49ers linebacker, Super Bowl champion and Bay Area commodity speaks to different volumes to what he is really about.
Deese’s accolades take a backseat to his greatest accomplishment. His being a role model and father figure to San Jose State tight end and NFL prospect Derrick Deese Jr.
For Deese Jr., living up to his father’s reputation has its own pungent twist.
Whether it was being in the junior college hall of fame, going pro in the NFL or winning Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers, his father was an accomplished anomaly to live up to.
Deese Jr. wasn’t just one of the greatest Spartans of all time. His reputation was essentially being eye candy for scouts looking to add a ferocious, long tight end with a pro pedigree.
Deese Jr. is ranked as the No. 9 tight end in the NFL draft according to ESPN.
“Whenever [Deese Jr.’s] father came around, he always showed the utmost respect,” SJSU safety Jay Lenard said. “Derrick doesn’t usually get too much into that. I’m pretty sure his dad gave him the freedom to make his own legacy.”
Deese played wide receiver in high school but wasn’t heavily recruited.
His fate changed when he chose to go to Golden West College, where he caught 37 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowns.
“I was more of a hooper [in high school]. I was always the biggest dude on the court. The crazy thing is, I wasn’t an all-star in football. That’s why I went to [community college],” Deese Jr. said.
Still, Deese Jr. had the exponential goal of living up to his name. That was when he opted to transfer to SJSU, where he met head coach Brent Brennan.
“His dad is involved in his life in a healthy way.I don’t know if there’s any direct correlation with our team outside the fact that they love him and [our players] are all aware of his dad,” Brennan said.
Deese started with two decent seasons with the shadow of his father’s success lingering.
In his first year with the Spartans in 2019, he recorded 179 yards.
Then, when the spotlight was directly on him, Deese Jr. had a breakout season and created his own path.
Deese Jr. was one of the top eight finalists for the 2021 John Mackey National Tight End Award.
His resume for the award included a year involving catching 47 passes, for 720 yards and four touchdowns with an 86.4 QB rating.
Deese Jr. ‘s breakout season was glazed with a 2020 Mountain West championship in a remarkable run by SJSU.
Brennan’s unshakeable confidence is something that helped Deese Jr. develop.
“He’s ready for that. He’s really developed into a very good blocker, which is an important part of playing tight end,” Brennan said. “You see his ability to catch the ball and run routes. He’s awesome, he’s a cool story because he came to us as a wide receiver. He hasn’t grown into that body yet.”
Deese Jr. will always be the pride of San Jose State and despite his lean stature and lanky frame, he will always be a cutthroat competitor.
“My blocking and my attitude on the field. Kind of just f you, basically. Whoever you are, I’m better than you,” Deese Jr. said.
Deese Jr.’s swagger and work ethic allowed him to successfully make the transition from wide receiver to tight end.
“You wouldn’t think a wide receiver would end up being a 250 lbs. tight end,” Brennan said.
Deese Jr.’s hard-hat mentality and work ethic showed out over his tenure at SJSU.
Deese Jr. says his game on the field comes from being around big-time talent and although his father is a measuring stick for his design of genes, he has other role models.
“I would say a couple [people influenced me]. Randy Moss, Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens,” Deese Jr. said.
Being in the NFL Draft and having the foresight to anticipate his road to the pros resembles the extraordinary stamp of being a Spartan.
“To make it to the league [is my goal]. To be able to produce a lot of stuff outside football, basically. To help my family stay financially stable. Just to have children be good with the money. If [a Super Bowl] comes, it comes. I didn’t really push for victory,” Deese Jr. said.
Looking back on his years at San Jose State, Deese Jr. has a myriad of memories and sentimentality to remember as a Spartan.
Deese Jr. will always be remembered as a hard-hat competitor and someone that pushes his teammates to strive for excellence.
Chemistry is the unmistakable mark left by the personality and presence of Deese Jr.
His competitive spirit and humility makes everyone around him compete harder and get better.
“I go against him a lot in practice, even if it’s one on one, I try to go against him, he tries to go against me,” Lenard said. “I usually cover tight ends. I feel that’s our best work. Me messing around telling him he’s not going to win today. He’s not going to get me. He does the same thing to me.”
The comradery created by the fusion of Brennan and Deese Jr. exponentially changed the DNA of the Spartans.