At the community college level, any time someone is able to play multiple positions, their value increases exponentially. For Cerritos College free safety DeMario King, his ability to also play the nickel position during his sophomore season took a great deal of pressure off the coaching staff. The need came about due to an injury in the middle of the season and King moved from free safety to a hybrid nickel position that operates more like a weakside linebacker. Not only did King earn 2nd Team All-Conference as a safety, his skills were recognized by the University of Washington, who signed him to a National Letter of Intent. Coming in as a junior next season, King will move permanently to weak side linebacker, something the 6-3, 215-pounder is excited and prepared to do.
Change is nothing new to King, who came to the Falcons after a successful senior season on the other side of the ball at Los Alamitos High School. He scored 25 touchdowns his senior season, and saw time as a running back, wide receiver and was the team's kick returner. He was being recruited by UCLA during his senior season, but due to academic issues, made the decision to come to Cerritos.
"I picked Cerritos College because they didn't promise a starting job or number," stated King, who recorded 57 tackles and broke up seven passes as a sophomore. "They told me straight up 'you will get a fair opportunity to play as a freshman.' They didn't sugar coat anything with me and kept it real from the jump."
"DeMario, we knew, was a Division I talent," stated Falcons head coach Dean Grosfeld. "DeMario is blessed with talent. The time he has spent at Cerritos has allowed him to develop mentally and physically. He was a two-year starter and big contributor to our program. This past season, DeMario was asked by Defensive Coordinator Tom Caines to switch position from free safety to our nickel spot due to a season-ending injury to Omari Okeke. DeMario never hesitated. His comment was, 'whatever is best for the team and any way I can help I will'. He flourished and even dominated at his new position, which opened several doors in the recruiting process. DeMario has great size, and with his athleticism and toughness, it made his value increase and Washington has themself a great player and an even better person. He is excellent in the classroom and was a team captain. Through many hardships, he prevailed and continued to develop his skill set."
And just like every other athlete, careers were up in the air when all sports came to a halt during 2020. With the season canceled, King wound up moving in with his brother, who lives in Temecula. When it came time to make the decision to either return to football or get a job, King chose to commute the nearly 150 roundtrip miles each day to play for the Falcons.
"When California community colleges became the only entity in the entire country to not allow student-athletes the opportunity to compete, it left most players devastated," commented Grosfeld. "We lost so many potential students-athletes throughout the state and at Cerritos alone we lost 40 football players that dropped out of school to go into the work force. They never returned. DeMario was destined for success. Thank goodness for him he decided to stay with his commitment to himself to live his dream of playing Division I college football. Because Cerritos was not allowed to participate, DeMario was left with no opportunity for recruitment due to lack of film and scouts could not come out to see him, so the decision to return was really the only option he had."
"It was just sad to find out there wasn't going to be a season for 2020," said King. "It wasn't tough preparing myself for the 2021 season due to Covid. I just had more time to workout and perfect my craft at a high level. The only thing that was hard for me was not seeing my teammates everyday. I stayed because I believed in my coaches to put me in the right spot to shine as an athlete. It wasn't a hard decision to leave or stay. I had many Division II schools wanting to offer me but I believed I was a Power 5 football player."
In his return to Cerritos for his sophomore season, King did it so well, he began to earn FBS offers from Fresno State, Arizona State and Arizona. And when Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer and cornerbacks coach Julius "Juice" Brown — King's primary recruiter — went to Washington, the offer carried over as well.
"Coach DeBoer is an honest and amazing coach from hearing from my coaches at Cerritos," continued King. "Coach DeBoer actually connects with his players and past coaches he coached with. It's amazing to read about how other coaches he coached always want to work with him and that says a lot."
The timing of DeBoer moving from Fresno State to Washington lined up perfectly for King, who has always thought of the Huskies as his dream school. He took a trip to the school as an eighth grader and hopes of playing in Seattle has eventually come to fruition.
"DeMario was intrical for not only younger players, but the entire team," said Grosfeld. "The long commute was a tough transition for him and he also dealt with turf toe all summer. Even with having to deal with the stress of the 2020 non-season, the life challenges of 2021, DeMario led as all great leaders do and that's by the example of doing. He showed up every day, was positive and his play was excellent earning 2nd Team All-Conference in the best conference in the United States. He really helped the younger players that had to be thrusted into starting role by him moving position. His knowledge of the defense and playing experience were huge factors in his help with the defense."
As someone who has dealt with adversity since leaving high school, the position adjustment doesn't seem to faze King at all. He stated that the first week at practice with the Huskies was difficult, but is learning to acclimate his body and mind to the position and responsibilities. These are all things that came about during his time at Cerritos, which King feels helped prepare him for the next level.
"Cerritos helped me improve my game by maturing me to watch film," said King. "Having faster eyes meaning to see how the play will develop mid-play. Cerritos also helped me to learn to understand asking for help is okay. They overemphasized help will be here and it will be there at any university you go to, so learn to take advantage of it. Cerritos football taught me hard work and sacrifice will help you accomplish absolutely everything. My time with the Falcons was amazing. Two memories that I will always remember were all the jokes that we shared in the locker room and my interception against Fullerton (pictured, right) my freshman year on the goal line in the last minute of the game."
"I am steadfast in my approach a coach," stated Grosfeld. "Coaching is and always should be a selfless profession. Our coaching staff has taken a professional vow to pay back all the life lessons we were fortunate enough to experience and benefit from the great game of football. DeMario, like all our players, are priority #1. We are happy and privileged to be part of their journey and all the credit is theirs. Our motto is - 'Earned- Never Give.' Having DeMario sign with Washington is not about Cerritos College or the program at the end of the day. We don't use players at Cerritos, but provide them a platform for success. The players earn what they get and DeMario earned this opportunity. We are proud of all our players and wishes them all the best in life. Keep an eye on DeMario. He will continue to perform at a high level, living out his dream."
