Deron Cherry
Encyclopedia
Deron Leigh Cherry is a retired professional American football
strong safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs
from 1981 to 1991. Deron was a free safety and punter at Rutgers University
. In 1979, he was named the team’s MVP. In 1979 and 1980, Cherry earned AP
All-East honors. In 1981, he signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, as a free agent
punter, but was released in the final cutdown. Deron rejoined the club in late September as a safety, and made his first interception
in October against the Oakland Raiders
.
Cherry played high school football
at Palmyra High School
in Palmyra, New Jersey
.
selection from 1983–1988, starting
in five of them in his 11 years with the Chiefs. Few other Chiefs players, including Derrick Thomas
, Will Shields
, and Willie Lanier
, have been selected to this number of Pro Bowls. He had six 100 tackle
seasons in his eleven years as a member of the Chiefs. He was a 5 time All-Pro
in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988. He was also a five time 1st team All-AFC
and two time 2nd team All-AFC selection. Cherry's 15 career fumble
recoveries place him in a three-way tie for the Chiefs record. He ranks third on the Chiefs list of most interceptions, and is only the 26th player in the history of the NFL to reach the 50 interception plateau. In 1987, he was selected to the Chiefs 25 year All-Time Team.
In 1988, he won the Byron White
Humanitarian Award for service to his team, community, and country. Prior to receiving this award, he was the Chiefs NFL Man of the Year selection in 1987. This is the most prestigious award given by the NFL Players Association. He is actively involved in several civic organizations, including Special Olympics
, Muscular Dystrophy Association
, Project Warmth, and the United Negro College Fund
. Cherry is a frequent guest speaker at civic, charitable, and corporate events throughout the country.
In 1995, Cherry became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL’s new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars
. He has been very pleased with the team’s success since entering the National Football League just a few years ago. Cherry is also a managing general partner with United Beverage, a local Anheuser-Busch
distributor.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
strong safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
from 1981 to 1991. Deron was a free safety and punter at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. In 1979, he was named the team’s MVP. In 1979 and 1980, Cherry earned AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-East honors. In 1981, he signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
punter, but was released in the final cutdown. Deron rejoined the club in late September as a safety, and made his first interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
in October against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Cherry played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Palmyra High School
Palmyra High School (New Jersey)
Palmyra High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Palmyra in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Palmyra Public Schools...
in Palmyra, New Jersey
Palmyra, New Jersey
Palmyra is a Borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 7,091.Palmyra was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 19, 1894, from portions of Cinnaminson Township and Riverton...
.
NFL career
Regarded as one of the finest free safeties to have ever played the game, he was a six-time Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection from 1983–1988, starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in five of them in his 11 years with the Chiefs. Few other Chiefs players, including Derrick Thomas
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas , nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft...
, Will Shields
Will Shields
Will Herthie Shields is a former American football offensive guard. He attended the University of Nebraska and played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his 14 seasons in the NFL, Shields never missed a game...
, and Willie Lanier
Willie Lanier
Willie Edward Lanier is a former American football middle-linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the American Football League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from...
, have been selected to this number of Pro Bowls. He had six 100 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
seasons in his eleven years as a member of the Chiefs. He was a 5 time All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988. He was also a five time 1st team All-AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
and two time 2nd team All-AFC selection. Cherry's 15 career fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries place him in a three-way tie for the Chiefs record. He ranks third on the Chiefs list of most interceptions, and is only the 26th player in the history of the NFL to reach the 50 interception plateau. In 1987, he was selected to the Chiefs 25 year All-Time Team.
In 1988, he won the Byron White
Byron White
Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
Humanitarian Award for service to his team, community, and country. Prior to receiving this award, he was the Chiefs NFL Man of the Year selection in 1987. This is the most prestigious award given by the NFL Players Association. He is actively involved in several civic organizations, including Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
, Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
, Project Warmth, and the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
. Cherry is a frequent guest speaker at civic, charitable, and corporate events throughout the country.
In 1995, Cherry became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL’s new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He has been very pleased with the team’s success since entering the National Football League just a few years ago. Cherry is also a managing general partner with United Beverage, a local Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
distributor.