Derrric Coakly dominate sack attacker
June 20, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Kissimmee Kreatures News Release
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - It was no secret to Derric Coakley. He was just not tall enough for the upper echelon of professional football. Yet, when you look and speak to this specimen of athleticism, one realizes Derric is not a forgotten man in the trenches of football warfare.
At 31 years of age, he's joined an elite club among indoor football players. This is his eighth season in what many would think as "minor-league" football, but to Derric and those in the other four leagues, it is nothing but "minor."
"There are a lot of people who would like to be in my position and like to do the things I do," said the former Wayne State (Michigan) standout, which is the second all-time quarterback sack leader of indoor football. "I just hope to give the crowd a lot of excitement when I play."
Righteous, honest, intelligent and kind, Coakley deems it a pleasure to give back to the fans and loves the exhilaration of being able to perform in something he enjoys. And, he shows it throughout his play on the field.
He's been with the Kissimmee Kreatures since the beginning of the season.
GREAT ATTITUDE FOR COACHES
"He has always had a great attitude," says his first-ever defensive coordinator Dave Hochtritt. "He gives you everything he's got". "He's always been that way."
Hochtritt, who now is scout for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos, was at Coakley's first stop, the Green Bay Bombers of the extinct IPFL. It was there that Coakley was first a linebacker and running back, but four games into the season he was moved to the defensive line because of two injured players.
"On the first plays (as a lineman) I got sacks and I thought this was pretty good," said Derric, who had 4.4 seconds speed (in 40 yards) then. "At the time, I was only 240 pounds for a lineman, but since then I have gotten up to a maximum of 270."
STRENGTH, SPEED COMBO
"I think the one thing that always stands out with Derric, is his combination of strength and speed," said Hochtritt. "He's very strong but both ingredients, along with learning how to use his hands, has been his primary assets. And, he's always willing to learn more."
Coakley has been Defensive Player of the Year in three leagues. The IPFL Bombers where he recorded an indoor football high of 18.5 sacks in 1998, in af2 (the underling to the AFL) with the Pensacola Barracudas where he had 15.5 sacks in 2001 and in the current NIFL with LaCrosse Night Train where he registered 7.5 quarterback take downs.
With his five sacks this season with Kissimmee, Coakley officially has a career total of 55, four less than the AFL's Sam Hernandez who played his 13th season, and eighth with the San Jose SaberCats this year.
However, after examining what Derric feels is the correct numbers, he lays claim to 70 before this season, which would make him, the all-time quarterback body slams.
"He's been quite a journeyman for the game," said Weylan Harding, the head coach of the AFL's New York Dragons who coached Derric at the AF2's Rochester Brigade. "I'll always be grateful to him for coming into our situation in Rochester and working hard, stabilizing the team and giving us some needed leadership. The one thing about Derric: He never quits."
TECHNIQUES DO IN LINEMEN
Coakley admits he's learned some techniques to overcome his size. The most important is just studying the opponent and then outsmarting him in the trenches.
"Probably knowing the situation is probably the most important," said Derric. "There is high, low motion and sometimes it's a guessing game."
Coakley leads the league in fumble recoveries in the NIFL with five, but also has four forced fumbles, which is second in the league. "I've made a lot of centers fumble the snap or make it difficult for the quarterback to handle the exchange. I give Dave a lot of credit for that maneuvering and also Mario Russo, who was another head coach of mine."
At Wayne State, he played only one year of football, because with a baseball scholarship, the gridiron took a backseat. He was a wide receiver in college and had 1,854 all-purpose yards.
He toiled foe six years from 1991 to 1996 in the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos minor league organizations. He had a career batting average of .240 and was an outfielder.
DIAMOND DREAM CAME FIRST
Spending time with the Beaumont Bull Frogs and the Niagara Falls Muckdogs and other Class A and AA teams was certainly not cutting it with Coakley. He also had managers and coaches such as Dan Roan, Charlie Kurfield and Philipe Alou. Finally, an abdomen injury and bruised spleen forced Derric to give up the "diamond dream."
So what's in Derric's future? He said he would return to Detroit after the season and evaluate what his options are. Saturday night, Derric did not dress for the Kissimmee Kreatures. Instead, he was asked to coach the defense. Yes, there he was still on the field, but this time in coaching togs and giving those younger players the defensive calls and teaching as well.
In Detroit, Coakley has had a full-time job with a security company that does more than just concerts and events. "We do a lot of surveillance and investigations for companies" he said. "I supervise two others with the company and really enjoy the challenge."
Like any challenge in the trenches, Derric always feels comfortable and is good at his trade.
For additional information about The Kissimmee Kreatures, the NIFL, or season ticket and corporate sponsorship information, please visit our website at www.kissimmeekreatures.com or call 863-687-8110. Additional information about the team can be found at the league website, www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net, or 888-422-9682.
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