HOMECOMING FOR HIGHLAND FOOTBALL STAR NFL'S DEMPS DEDICATING SCOREBOARD.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Staff Writer PALMDALE -- He was told he wasn't fast enough, tall enough, strong enough and definitely not good enough to play organized football at the next level. And that was when Will Demps William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7 1979) is an American football player who is currently a member of the Houston Texans in the National Football League. He plays the free safety position and wears the number 47. was still in high school. The 1997 Highland High of Palmdale grad has made a career out of proving his detractors wrong. Demps, now a starting NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga defensive back for the New York Giants
An official ceremony will be held during halftime of tonight's Golden League football opener against Littlerock. Marcus Demps Marcus Demps (born August 19, 1983 in Minot, North Dakota) is an African American and Korean football safety most recently for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He attended San Diego State University. He is the younger brother of New York Giants safety Will Demps. , a 2001 Highland grad and a Detroit Lions rookie defensive back, suffered a season-ending ACL injury ACL injury See Anterior cruciate ligament injury. and will not attend tonight's ceremony. ``This is where I started, where I developed into a man,'' Will Demps said via telephone Wednesday from Giants Stadium in East Rutheford, N.J. ``It's always great to have this opportunity to give back, but I never thought I'd be in a situation where I had the funds available to do it.'' Demps somehow slipped under the collegiate scout radar at Highland. He had just one Div. I scholarship offer -- a partial package from St. Mary's of Moraga -- despite leading the Southern Section in interceptions with 11 his senior year. At the prodding of Highland coaches and friends, he walked onto the team at San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. State, where he was a two-time first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection. Nevertheless, he wasn't invited to an NFL combine out of college. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2003 as an undrafted free agent. It wasn't until he completed three productive years that he became a coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. commodity, with the Giants signing him to a multiyear contract -- the terms of which were not disclosed. Will Demps suffered a season-ending torn ACL See access control list. 1. ACL - Access Control List. 2. ACL - Association for Computational Linguistics. 3. ACL - A Coroutine Language. A Pascal-based implementation of coroutines. ["Coroutines", C.D. last December, but is back at full strength. ``Will has constantly overcome odds and shown that there's a lot more to him than just his physical prowess,'' said Highland coach Jim Root, who was the defensive coordinator when Demps played at the school. Demps said his overachieving career is the result of the work ethic his parents, William Henry Sr. and Kaye Demps, instilled in him as a child. William Henry Demps is a retired Air Force officer who works for the state Department of Corrections. Kaye Demps owns and operates a Palmdale dry cleaner. ``We wanted to do this for (our parents),'' Will Demps said, ``so they can see our names on the scoreboard when they go by the school.'' Will Demps became active in community service in Baltimore, donating money to local hospitals, volunteering time to coaching clinics for kids, and becoming involved in a program teaching students carpentry skills. He was a ``110 Percent Effort'' award recipient in 2003, an honor given to players who exemplify all-out play on the field and contribute to the community. Among those who lobbied SDSU SDSU San Diego State University SDSU South Dakota State University SDSU Standard Distribution Switching Unit SDSU Smds Dsu coaches to give Demps a chance out of high school was close friend Kim Allen. Her son Sean Berglund and Demps were former Highland teammates and college roommates at SDSU. ``He's always been a great person and he still is today,'' Allen said. ``What's remarkable about him is he's still very grounded.'' Demps will meet with players from both teams before tonight's game. ``It hasn't really hit me yet,'' Demps said. ``I'm sure it's going to be kind of one of those bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. moments where it's going to be surreal when I get there, but when I have a chance to take it all in it's going to be great.'' gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com 661-267-7802 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Will Demps on the Highland High School Highland High School or Highlands High School may refer to: In the United States:
Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer Getty Images |
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