Dereck Faulkner

Dereck Leonard Faulkner (born May 6, 1985 in Landstuhl, Germany) is an American football wide receiver that is currently a free agent.

High School
Faulkner played high school football at Moorestown High School, where he was a First Team All-State wide 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.

Pro-Day
Despite Faulkner's measureables and having a productive college career he wasn't invited to the 2007 NFL Combine. Faulkner opened up some eyes after his work-out. He posted a 4.47 40 yard dash which was ran on grass. A 6.87 3-cone is very good for a guy of his dimensions. He displayed great leaping ability by posting a 40 inch vertical jump, which was the fourth-highest among draft-eligible receivers, also posting a 10' 5" broad jump.

Professional career
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.

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.

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