Dereck Faulkner
Dereck Leonard Faulkner (born May 6, 1985) is a former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007. He played college football for the Hampton Pirates.
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | May 6, 1985 Landstuhl, Germany | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College: | Hampton | ||
| Undrafted: | 2007 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| CFL status: | Import | ||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Faulkner has also been a member of the BC Lions.
Early years
Faulkner grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey and played high school football at Moorestown High School,[1] where he was a First Team All-Statewide receiver. He also earned All-County, All-Conference Accolades as well as All-South Jersey Honors after catching 40 passes for 898 yards (22.5 avg) and nine touchdowns his senior season. Super Prep rated him among the top 100 players on the East Coast. He chose Hampton University over the University of Iowa.
College career
Faulkner immediately earned playing time as a true freshman at the "X" receiver position. Despite playing behind current All-Pro Kick Returner current Houston Texans Jerome Mathis, Faulkner still finished second on the team with 20 receptions for 249 yards and 1 touchdown in 10 games. 17 of those catches resulted in first downs, with 12 of those coming on third down plays. A strained calf muscle limited Faulkner to 9 games in 2005. He still contributed to the team by pulling in 24 catches for 427 yards and 3 touchdowns, finishing third on the team, showing his prowess as the team clutch third-down receiver. He helped convert 12 third-down plays finishing with a total of 22 first down receptions. He suffered a broken right fibula during practice in the fourth week of the season and only played in 13 games over his last two seasons at Hampton. He finished his career with 74 catches for 1,011 yards.
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
Despite not being drafted after a good career and a great work-out, Faulkner still fulfilled a childhood dream by being signed by the team he grew up cheering for, the Philadelphia Eagles, his childhood favorite Eagle being All-Pro wide receiver Mike Quick, who also is a family friend. Quick was very positive when he heard the news about Faulkner going to the Eagles. He was quoted as saying:
"It was a quick decision, but it was a strong decision."
Faulkner was quoted saying:
"I think this was the right decision for me. They didn't draft any wide receivers this year, and they only signed one other UDFA undrafted free agent wide receiver, so I'll have a good shot to show them I can play on the level of the receivers they have now."
Faulkner was released by the Eagles as of August 27, 2007.
British Columbia Lions
Faulkner was signed by the BC Lions on April 8, 2009. He was released on May 13, 2009.
Personal
Faulkner majored in Business Management and hopes to become a sportscaster when his playing days are over. His father was a linebacker at Virginia State University. Dereck is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity (Gamma Epsilon chapter).
References
- "Akers hits one for teammates", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 11, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2007. "The star of the morning practice was Dereck Faulkner, the undrafted rookie receiver from Hampton University and Moorestown High School."