NFL GIANT INSPIRES HIGHLAND TEAM.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- The Highland High School football team huddled under the goal post in the end zone on the south side of their field. Kneeling on the grass, they hung on every word of the animated guest speaker as if in the presence of royalty.

To them, Will Demps could just as well have been a king. But he is also one of their own.

Demps, a 1997 Highland grad who now plays in the NFL for the New York Giants, spent about five minutes before Friday's Golden League opener against Littlerock giving a speech that was part pep-talk, part straight talk.

Demps returned to his alma mater for a scoreboard dedication ceremony and celebration that included him driving around the field's track in a convertible with Miss Palmdale.

Demps and his brother, Marcus, a 2001 Highland grad who is a Detroit Lions rookie, purchased new scoreboards for the school's football field and gym at the cost of about $50,000.

Marcus Demps, who recently suffered a season-ending torn ACL, was unable to attend.

``Football is just what you're doing for that moment, it's not going to make you,'' Demps said before meeting with the players. ``It's what I do, but it's not who I am.''

There was a football message too, however.

Demps implored the Highland players to play as a team and have fun. And he seemed to get through.

Highland won the game between two previously winless teams, 41-8.

The tougher messages seemed to penetrate as well. Demps, after all, is no ordinary messenger.

``He went through a lot of what we're going through right now,'' Highland senior defensive back/receiver Fred Anderson said. ``We look up to him, so we made sure we listened.''

Demps said it was important to him that high school athletes understand that pursuing excellence in sports is one way to better their lives, but not the only way.

``I made it out of this valley, and a lot of kids never do,'' he said. ``There's a lot more in this world that you've got to experience, and you've got to set your goals high and achieve that.

``I used football as a means to do that. I'm an example, and a lot of the kids here don't understand that. I did it, and they can do it, too.''

Demps also met briefly with some of the Littlerock players.

``It was an honor to meet him,'' Littlerock senior running back Luther Dillon said. ``I've never met an NFL player before, and it inspired me because that's what I want to do.''

Demps said it was surreal to return to Highland, noting he hadn't been to a high school football game since watching his brother play at Highland in 2000.

``It's very surreal just to have the opportunity to be here and see my family and friends I went to school here with,'' he said.

``When you're in high school, you just think about going to college, but you never think the opportunity is going to present itself like this, that you might be successful and someday be in a position to help your school.''

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The New York Giants' Will Demps stands by a scoreboard he and his brother, Marcus, donated to Highland High.

(2 -- 3 -- color) The New York Giant's Will Demps, above, talks to the Highland High football team before its game Friday against Littlerock High. Demps and his brother, Marcus, both Highland graduates, donated two scoreboards to the school. At bottom left, Demps takes a picture with Highland Principal Stacy Bryant.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer