Gene Derricotte
Encyclopedia
Eugene "Gene" Derricotte (born June 14, 1926) is a former American football
player who played with the University of Michigan
Wolverines
from 1944 to 1948. He was one of the University's first African American
athletes in the era when NCAA Division I college football
was beginning to integrate
. Derricotte established school records that still stand as a punt returner
for the Michigan Wolverines football
team. He also established several short-lived school interceptions records. Derricotte also served as a Tuskegee Airman
and later had a successful career in dentistry while continuing to serve in the military.
on June 14, 1926, and he grew up in Defiance, Ohio
, where his father Clarence Cobb Derricotte ran a shoe repair business. In addition to Eugene, Bessie M. Anderson and Clarence Derricotte had two other sons, Bruce (b. June 22, 1928) and Raymond. Gene married Jeanne E. Hagans and had a son Robert. Years later, Gene Derricotte would tell a reporter friend of his that he always wondered about his ancestry. He knew his name was French, but he was not able to find out much more about his roots. One thing he must have known was that despite living under segregation, other members of the Derricotte family had distinguished themselves as educated professionals. A black newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune, did a tribute to the family in November 1944, mentioning that Eugene's father was a veteran of World War I
where he fought in France before returning to Defiance to open his business, marry and raise a family. Eugene had an uncle (J. Flipper Derricotte) who was an attorney in Washington DC, and an aunt Juliette who had been a dean at Fisk College in Nashville
TN before dying tragically after an automobile accident, when the nearby white hospital refused to admit her. (Jason, 1944)
While Eugene (or Gene, as he was often called) would become known for his athletic ability, he was also an excellent student, graduating from Defiance High School as the class valedictorian. (Jason, 1944) Because he was a star athlete, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Michigan. He enrolled in 1944, majoring in chemistry
. While there, he became the first African-American to play in the offensive backfield for the Michigan Wolverines football
program. Derricotte was an immediate contributor as the team's leading ground gainer
in 1944. Press reports in 1944 typically referred to his race, identifying him as "freshman negro halfback," the "Negro speedster," the "speedy negro freshman," or the "lithe Negro star."
In December 1944, Derricotte was drafted into the United States Army
. He was initially assigned as an artillery
cannoneer
with the 16th Separate Training Battalion in Fort Bragg, North Carolina
. He later transferred to the Tuskegee Airmen
pilot
training program in Tuskegee, Alabama
. Derricotte graduated from the program in May 1946. With the war over, he was discharge
d, and he returned to the University of Michigan to continue his education.
When he returned from the war in 1946 and resumed his education, he continued to excel in academics as well as sports. He maintained a "B" average and majored in pharmacy
. In football, he shared the starting duties at the left halfback position with Bob Chappuis
, who went on to All-Big Ten Conference
honors in 1946. After starting nine games at left halfback
for Fritz Crisler
in 1944, Derricotte started five games to Chappuis' four in 1946. In the first game of the 1946 season, Derricotte threw a touchdown
pass
to Paul White and was described as the "sparkplug of the Michigan running game." Derricotte broke his nose in a scrimmage after the first game and saw limited playing time, which gave Chappuis an opportunity to shine.
Derricotte, who wore #41 while a Michigan Wolverine
, had an unusual college football career because he began by starting many games, but gradually became more of a return specialist. In 1946, Derricotte also set the school's single-season interceptions record. By 1947, Chappuis had become an All-American halfback and Derricotte's only start was one game at quarterback
. In 1947, Derricotte averaged 24.8 yards on punt returns, which still stands as a Michigan school record (min 1.2 returns/game). In fact, Derricotte still ranks fifth in NCAA Division I-A history in average yards per punt return. Oddly, the NCAA recognizes that he had 347 return yards
on 14 returns that season (24.8). The University of Michigan claims he had 396 punt return yards that season (which would be 24.8 with 16 returns), but did not average at least 12.3 with a minimum of 15 returns to rank in the top ten in school history. The Big Ten record book claims he did not have at least a 17.4 return average with a minimum of 10 returns to place in the top ten in conference history. The 396 was a Michigan record from 1947 until 1990 when Tripp Welborne
totaled 455 in 1990. In 1948, he again only had one start, but this time back at halfback under new coach, Bennie Oosterbaan
. Both the 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
, Fritz Crisler
's last team, and the 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
were undefeated and finished the season ranked number 1 in the Associated Press
polls. The 1947 team referred to as "Michigan's Mad Magicians" is considered to be the greatest University of Michigan football team of all time.
During his Michigan career, Derricotte returned four punts for touchdown
s, which set a school record that has since been tied (but not exceeded) by Steve Breaston
and Derrick Alexander. He also returned three punts for touchdowns in one season, which was a Big Ten Conference
record for more than 50 years until Ted Ginn, Jr.
returned four punts for touchdowns in 2004. The record had been tied by both Ira Matthews
of the Wisconsin Badgers
(1976) and Tim Dwight
of the Iowa Hawkeyes
(1997).
In the Associated Press
poll at the end of the 1947 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
were ranked ahead of the University of Michigan, though both teams were undefeated. Some noted that every Southern AP voter had voted for Notre Dame, which had yet to integrate, whereas three of Michigan's star players (Derricotte, Bob Mann
and Len Ford
) were African-American. The Southern schools refused even to schedule games against schools that played African-American players.
Michigan beat USC, 49–0, in the 1948 Rose Bowl
game. Derricotte scored a touchdown on a 45-yard reception
from Henry Fonde in the game. Derricotte also completed a ten yard pass during the game.
Over the course of his Michigan career, he set the career interceptions record. Neither Derricotte's career nor single-season interceptions records lasted very long. The career interception record lasted one season and the single-season record lasted three. He was also involved in only the third time Michigan had two 100-yard rushers in the same game.
draft in 1949 by the undefeated league defending champion, Cleveland Browns
. Unfortunately, he was injured during training camp with the Browns at the end of July 1949 while standing along the sidelines playing catch with a teammate. Coach Paul Brown said Derricotte had a chronic knee injury that only rest could cure. Accordingly, Brown placed Derricotte on waivers, but said hoped he could return for another tryout in 1950.
Derricotte was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1987. Derricotte also had a successful career in dentistry. In 1950, Derricotte earned a degree in pharmacy, and in 1958, he earned a further degree in dentistry. After receiving the second degree, Derricotte returned to the military, serving in Vietnam
, as well as South Dakota
, Massachusetts
, Texas
, Hawaii
, Virginia
, Illinois
and at the United States Air Force Academy
before his retirement in 1985. Derricotte then relocated to San Antonio, Texas
, where he started another career at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He married, and he and his wife Jeanne had a son, Rob. The family continued to reside in the San Antonio area. Derricotte retired from dentistry in 2000.
In March 2007, he was one of six surviving Tuskegee Airmen honored at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
, where they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service to the United States. They were also honored at another ceremony in mid-June 2007 at Randolph Air Force Base
in Universal City, Texas
, near San Antonio.
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...
player who played with the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
from 1944 to 1948. He was one of the University's first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
athletes in the era when NCAA Division I college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
was beginning to integrate
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
. Derricotte established school records that still stand as a punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team. He also established several short-lived school interceptions records. Derricotte also served as a Tuskegee Airman
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
and later had a successful career in dentistry while continuing to serve in the military.
Early years and college
Derricotte was born in Fostoria, OhioFostoria, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,931 people, 5,565 households, and 3,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,917.6 people per square mile . There were 6,024 housing units at an average density of 829.2 per square mile...
on June 14, 1926, and he grew up in Defiance, Ohio
Defiance, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
, where his father Clarence Cobb Derricotte ran a shoe repair business. In addition to Eugene, Bessie M. Anderson and Clarence Derricotte had two other sons, Bruce (b. June 22, 1928) and Raymond. Gene married Jeanne E. Hagans and had a son Robert. Years later, Gene Derricotte would tell a reporter friend of his that he always wondered about his ancestry. He knew his name was French, but he was not able to find out much more about his roots. One thing he must have known was that despite living under segregation, other members of the Derricotte family had distinguished themselves as educated professionals. A black newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune, did a tribute to the family in November 1944, mentioning that Eugene's father was a veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he fought in France before returning to Defiance to open his business, marry and raise a family. Eugene had an uncle (J. Flipper Derricotte) who was an attorney in Washington DC, and an aunt Juliette who had been a dean at Fisk College in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
TN before dying tragically after an automobile accident, when the nearby white hospital refused to admit her. (Jason, 1944)
While Eugene (or Gene, as he was often called) would become known for his athletic ability, he was also an excellent student, graduating from Defiance High School as the class valedictorian. (Jason, 1944) Because he was a star athlete, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Michigan. He enrolled in 1944, majoring in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. While there, he became the first African-American to play in the offensive backfield for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
program. Derricotte was an immediate contributor as the team's leading ground gainer
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
in 1944. Press reports in 1944 typically referred to his race, identifying him as "freshman negro halfback," the "Negro speedster," the "speedy negro freshman," or the "lithe Negro star."
In December 1944, Derricotte was drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was initially assigned as an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
cannoneer
Cannoneer
"Cannoneer" is a word for an artillery gunner, first recorded in the 16th century. Current titles for a Soldier in the 13B career field within the US Army is "Cannon Crewmember", but more commonly referred to by the shorter "Cannoneer"...
with the 16th Separate Training Battalion in Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. He later transferred to the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
training program in Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....
. Derricotte graduated from the program in May 1946. With the war over, he was discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
d, and he returned to the University of Michigan to continue his education.
When he returned from the war in 1946 and resumed his education, he continued to excel in academics as well as sports. He maintained a "B" average and majored in pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. In football, he shared the starting duties at the left halfback position with Bob Chappuis
Bob Chappuis
Robert Richard "Bob" Chappuis is a former American football player who played halfback and quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1942, 1946, and 1947. His college years were interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II...
, who went on to All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
honors in 1946. After starting nine games at left halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
in 1944, Derricotte started five games to Chappuis' four in 1946. In the first game of the 1946 season, Derricotte threw a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
to Paul White and was described as the "sparkplug of the Michigan running game." Derricotte broke his nose in a scrimmage after the first game and saw limited playing time, which gave Chappuis an opportunity to shine.
Derricotte, who wore #41 while a Michigan Wolverine
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
, had an unusual college football career because he began by starting many games, but gradually became more of a return specialist. In 1946, Derricotte also set the school's single-season interceptions record. By 1947, Chappuis had become an All-American halfback and Derricotte's only start was one game at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. In 1947, Derricotte averaged 24.8 yards on punt returns, which still stands as a Michigan school record (min 1.2 returns/game). In fact, Derricotte still ranks fifth in NCAA Division I-A history in average yards per punt return. Oddly, the NCAA recognizes that he had 347 return yards
Return yards
Return yards is an American football and Canadian football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's Goal line...
on 14 returns that season (24.8). The University of Michigan claims he had 396 punt return yards that season (which would be 24.8 with 16 returns), but did not average at least 12.3 with a minimum of 15 returns to rank in the top ten in school history. The Big Ten record book claims he did not have at least a 17.4 return average with a minimum of 10 returns to place in the top ten in conference history. The 396 was a Michigan record from 1947 until 1990 when Tripp Welborne
Tripp Welborne
Sullivan Anthony "Tripp" Welborne is a former professional American football defensive back who played safety for one season for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. He currently works as Athletic Director at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St...
totaled 455 in 1990. In 1948, he again only had one start, but this time back at halfback under new coach, Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
. Both the 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
, Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
's last team, and the 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
were undefeated and finished the season ranked number 1 in the Associated Press
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...
polls. The 1947 team referred to as "Michigan's Mad Magicians" is considered to be the greatest University of Michigan football team of all time.
During his Michigan career, Derricotte returned four punts for touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, which set a school record that has since been tied (but not exceeded) by Steve Breaston
Steve Breaston
Steven William Breaston is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and Derrick Alexander. He also returned three punts for touchdowns in one season, which was a Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
record for more than 50 years until Ted Ginn, Jr.
Ted Ginn, Jr.
-College career:OSU track coach Russ Rogers recruited Ginn to run track, believing that he could qualify for the 2008 Olympics. However, his track career was put on hold in order to focus on football. Ginn was recruited as a defensive back by Ohio State....
returned four punts for touchdowns in 2004. The record had been tied by both Ira Matthews
Ira Matthews
Ira Richard Matthews, III is a former professional American football player who played kick returner and punt returner for three seasons for the Oakland Raiders. Matthews stood 5"8' and weighed 175 lbs which made it difficult to catch him. Matthews was named to the NFL 1979 All-Pro Team as a...
of the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
(1976) and Tim Dwight
Tim Dwight
Timothy Deutch Dwight, Jr. is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
of the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
(1997).
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...
poll at the end of the 1947 season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
were ranked ahead of the University of Michigan, though both teams were undefeated. Some noted that every Southern AP voter had voted for Notre Dame, which had yet to integrate, whereas three of Michigan's star players (Derricotte, Bob Mann
Bob Mann (American football)
Robert "Bob" Mann was an American football end. A native of New Bern, North Carolina, Mann played college football at Hampton Institute in 1942 and 1943 and at the University of Michigan in 1944, 1946 and 1947. He broke the Big Ten Conference record for receiving yardage in 1946 and again in 1947...
and Len Ford
Len Ford
Leonard Guy Ford, Jr. was an American football defensive end. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.He played two years for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference...
) were African-American. The Southern schools refused even to schedule games against schools that played African-American players.
Michigan beat USC, 49–0, in the 1948 Rose Bowl
1948 Rose Bowl
The 1948 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948. It was the 34th Rose Bowl Game, and the second since the Big Nine Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference reached an exclusive agreement to match their champions in the game each year. In the game, the Michigan...
game. Derricotte scored a touchdown on a 45-yard reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
from Henry Fonde in the game. Derricotte also completed a ten yard pass during the game.
Over the course of his Michigan career, he set the career interceptions record. Neither Derricotte's career nor single-season interceptions records lasted very long. The career interception record lasted one season and the single-season record lasted three. He was also involved in only the third time Michigan had two 100-yard rushers in the same game.
Professional career
Derricotte was selected in the first round of the All-America Football ConferenceAll-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
draft in 1949 by the undefeated league defending champion, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Unfortunately, he was injured during training camp with the Browns at the end of July 1949 while standing along the sidelines playing catch with a teammate. Coach Paul Brown said Derricotte had a chronic knee injury that only rest could cure. Accordingly, Brown placed Derricotte on waivers, but said hoped he could return for another tryout in 1950.
Derricotte was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1987. Derricotte also had a successful career in dentistry. In 1950, Derricotte earned a degree in pharmacy, and in 1958, he earned a further degree in dentistry. After receiving the second degree, Derricotte returned to the military, serving in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as well as South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and at the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
before his retirement in 1985. Derricotte then relocated to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, where he started another career at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He married, and he and his wife Jeanne had a son, Rob. The family continued to reside in the San Antonio area. Derricotte retired from dentistry in 2000.
In March 2007, he was one of six surviving Tuskegee Airmen honored at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service to the United States. They were also honored at another ceremony in mid-June 2007 at Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
in Universal City, Texas
Universal City, Texas
Universal City is a city in Bexar and Guadalupe Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It borders San Antonio to the northeast, and is adjacent to Randolph Air Force Base. The population was 14,849 at the 2000 census. Through Universal City is Pat Booker Road, the commercial thoroughfare of the city...
, near San Antonio.
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
- 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team1947 Michigan Wolverines football teamThe 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
- 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team1948 Michigan Wolverines football teamThe 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
