View source for John Deraney

{{Short description|American football player (born 1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = John Deraney
| image         =
| caption       =
| number        = 9
| position      = [[Punter (American football)|Punter]], [[placekicker]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1983|9|5}}
| birth_place   = [[Fayetteville, Georgia]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 4
| weight_lbs    = 224
| college       = [[NC State Wolfpack football|North Carolina State]]
| undraftedyear = 2007
| pastteams     =
* [[Detroit Lions]] (2007–2008)*
| highlights    =
}}
'''John Deraney''' (born September 5, 1983) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] [[Punter (American football)|punter]] and [[placekicker]]. He played for the [[NC State Wolfpack football]] program from 2003 to 2006, handling punts, kickoffs, field goals, and extra points.  He also set an all-time NC State record by converting 76 consecutive extra points and also set the school's single-season record with 2,968 punting yards in 2006.
==Early life==
A Georgia native, Deraney played football at Fayette County High School.<ref name=Citizen>{{cite news|title=Follow local players as they play for their colleges and universities|author=Michael Boylan|newspaper=The Citizen|date=August 17, 2005|url=http://archive.thecitizen.com/archive/main/archive-050817/fb-13_follow.html}}</ref>
==College career==
Deraney played college football as a punter and place-kicker for the [[NC State Wolfpack football]] program who redshirted in 2002 and played from 2003 to 2006. He was described as "a one-man special-teams show" and a "triple threat", handling punts, field goals, and kickoffs for the Wolfpack.<ref>{{cite news|title=Once, twice, three times a kicker|newspaper=[[News & Record]]|author=Jim Young|date=August 22, 2006|url=https://www.greensboro.com/sports_college/football/once-twice-three-times-a-kicker/article_14143bf2-08e4-54c6-b172-e37a3e8a856c.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A Step Ahead, Deraney Has Wolfpack's Special-Teams Hopes Squarely On His Foot|newspaper=[[Winston-Salem Journal]]|date=August 30, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Triple threat stays consistent for Wolfpack|newspaper=[[Technician (newspaper)|Technician]]|date=October 28, 2005}}</ref> He was one of only 10 players nationally to handle all three kicking functions in 2004,<ref name=Citizen/> and one of only eight to do so in 2006.<ref name=Lions>{{cite web|title=John Deraney profile|publisher=Detroit Lions|access-date=January 16, 2020|url=http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=455&season=9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222142811/http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=455&season=9|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref> In 2005, the Blue Ribbon Football Yearbook declared Deraney "the most irreplaceable player on the Wolfpack roster."<ref>{{cite book|title=Blue Ribbon Football Yearbook|author=Chris Dortch|year=2005|page=35}}</ref>
On kickoffs, Deraney was known for the high percentage of his kickoffs that went for touchbacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deraney Delivers Touchbacks: N.C. State's Kickoff Team Doesn't Have To Do Much When John Deraney Is On Top Of His Game|newspaper=News & Record|author=Rob Daniels|date=October 3, 2003|url=https://www.greensboro.com/deraney-delivers-touchbacks-n-c-state-s-kickoff-team-doesn/article_2ddc9d5e-6487-5cc7-9504-87be4a9cab03.html}}</ref>  As a punter, he kicked 208 times for 8,366 yards, an average of 40.2 yards per punt and downed 61 punts inside the 20-yard line.<ref name=SR/><ref name=Lions/>  On field goals, he converted 40 of 58 attempts. He also converted 84 of 85 extra points and totaled 199 points during his four seasons at NC State.<ref name=SR>{{cite web|title=John Deraney College Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=January 18, 2020|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/john-deraney-1.html}}</ref> His total of 40 field goals ranked fourth in [[NC State Wolfpack football statistical leaders#Kicking|NC State history]] when he left the program (ranks seventh currently). He also set NC State records by converting 76 consecutive extra points and tallying 2,968 punting yards in a single season in 2006.<ref name=Lions/>
Prior to his 2006 redshirt senior season, Deraney's father, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, was placed in hospice care and given six months to live.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coping through kicking: NCSU's Deraney draws inspiration from his father, who is battling MS|publisher=Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News|date=October 4, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=N.C. State's Deraney familiar with dealing with pressure|newspaper=Technician|date=October 4, 2006}}</ref> Deraney continued to kick through the 2006 season, converting 12 of 16 field goals and 22 of 23 extra points.<ref name=SR/>
==Professional football==
In the spring of 2007, he was signed as an [[undrafted free agent]] punter by the [[Detroit Lions]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Holley, Worsley, Deraney sign contracts|newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal|date=May 1, 2007}}</ref> His playing career was derailed by a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee during the Lions' first preseason. In 2010, after extensive physical therapy and training, Deraney attempted a comeback, but he was not picked up by an NFL team.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kick Return|newspaper=Fayetteville (GA) Neighbor |date=June 28, 2010}}</ref>
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071222142811/http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=455&season=9 Detroit Lions bio]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deraney, John}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Fayetteville, Georgia]]
[[Category:American football placekickers]]
[[Category:American football punters]]
[[Category:NC State Wolfpack football players]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions players]]