Derred de'Ville is one of this year's most intriguing draft prospects with an unusual nickname and origin story. Born in the UK to a French Mother and a British Father, he grew up playing football on the streets of London. But initially, it was not the beautiful sport we all know and love, it was soccer instead, where Derred first learned to compete on and for a team.
Ball control was a bit of an issue, so Derred was used as a bruising defender for his youth soccer team, his big frame and deceiving speed being his most prized assets. Eventually though, he earned himself an indefinite suspension for being too aggressive with his tackling, after yet another red card. To this day he holds the single season record of 10 red cards in 30 games in the South London Under-14’s Soccer League. Clearly, this sport was just not brutal enough for him, but at this stage, aged 13, he hadn’t even heard of American football.
This all changed a few weeks later, as the London Times had picked up on the unusual story of the slightly oversized kid that was tackling everyone to the ground. Mr. Tom Smith recalls reading it on a fine Sunday morning, while sipping his obligatory cup of Earl Grey Tea. A couple of hours later, he was knocking on the front door, to ask Derred’s parents to let their son try something new, something different.
At the time Mr. Smith was in the process of re-building the american football team for the London Sports High School. The conversation didn’t last long, and Derred was invited for a tryout at the school. In one play, he charged through two offensive linemen to get to the QB. In the next, he performed a fluid spin move that left the left tackle so confused that he fell to the ground and Derred managed to get to the RB in a split second, just as the ball was handed off. Smith had never seen anything like it.
Fast forward a few years, and Derred had earned himself a scholarship to study Sports Management & Leadership at King’s College London (KCL) and he naturally joined the Regents (KCL’s football team). Many of his fellow teammates struggled to correctly pronounce his slightly strange combination of French and English name, and so, after seeing him play for the first time, he became known as “The Red Devil” instead.
Ever since, that nickname has installed the living fear in opposing linemen and quarterbacks. After 5 years, 67 sacks and over 750 tackles later, Derred graduated from KCL, where he will forever be remembered as The Red Devil. His jersey, number 24, was retired upon his graduation.
Now that he had graduated, it was time to take the plunge and risk it all for a career across the big pond, not as a manager but as a player in the fabled NSFL. Making use of the NSFL’s overseas tryouts programme, Derred earned himself a spot to be invited for the DFSL S21 Draft, which is just weeks away. As this article is published, he is currently on a plane bound for Miami, where he will undergo a strength and conditioning masterclass by the Rock, prior to the draft to boost his prospects.
It will remain to be seen if the DSFL GMs are willing to take the plunge on someone that has not come through the US college system, but Derred’s productivity on defense and his will to get that tackle on every play are attributes many teams need. Who doesn’t love a speed rushing linebacker? Time will tell if Derred truly is a red devil, or just another bust from overseas. We wish him the best of luck and will continue to follow his story closely.
[630 Words]
Ball control was a bit of an issue, so Derred was used as a bruising defender for his youth soccer team, his big frame and deceiving speed being his most prized assets. Eventually though, he earned himself an indefinite suspension for being too aggressive with his tackling, after yet another red card. To this day he holds the single season record of 10 red cards in 30 games in the South London Under-14’s Soccer League. Clearly, this sport was just not brutal enough for him, but at this stage, aged 13, he hadn’t even heard of American football.
This all changed a few weeks later, as the London Times had picked up on the unusual story of the slightly oversized kid that was tackling everyone to the ground. Mr. Tom Smith recalls reading it on a fine Sunday morning, while sipping his obligatory cup of Earl Grey Tea. A couple of hours later, he was knocking on the front door, to ask Derred’s parents to let their son try something new, something different.
At the time Mr. Smith was in the process of re-building the american football team for the London Sports High School. The conversation didn’t last long, and Derred was invited for a tryout at the school. In one play, he charged through two offensive linemen to get to the QB. In the next, he performed a fluid spin move that left the left tackle so confused that he fell to the ground and Derred managed to get to the RB in a split second, just as the ball was handed off. Smith had never seen anything like it.
Fast forward a few years, and Derred had earned himself a scholarship to study Sports Management & Leadership at King’s College London (KCL) and he naturally joined the Regents (KCL’s football team). Many of his fellow teammates struggled to correctly pronounce his slightly strange combination of French and English name, and so, after seeing him play for the first time, he became known as “The Red Devil” instead.
Ever since, that nickname has installed the living fear in opposing linemen and quarterbacks. After 5 years, 67 sacks and over 750 tackles later, Derred graduated from KCL, where he will forever be remembered as The Red Devil. His jersey, number 24, was retired upon his graduation.
Now that he had graduated, it was time to take the plunge and risk it all for a career across the big pond, not as a manager but as a player in the fabled NSFL. Making use of the NSFL’s overseas tryouts programme, Derred earned himself a spot to be invited for the DFSL S21 Draft, which is just weeks away. As this article is published, he is currently on a plane bound for Miami, where he will undergo a strength and conditioning masterclass by the Rock, prior to the draft to boost his prospects.
It will remain to be seen if the DSFL GMs are willing to take the plunge on someone that has not come through the US college system, but Derred’s productivity on defense and his will to get that tackle on every play are attributes many teams need. Who doesn’t love a speed rushing linebacker? Time will tell if Derred truly is a red devil, or just another bust from overseas. We wish him the best of luck and will continue to follow his story closely.
[630 Words]