Rich Demers may never be mentioned in the same breath as
Beantown legends like Bird, Brady or Schilling, but
Bostonians may one day have the chance to proudly add his
name to a long list rich with a history of local kids
making it. East Boston’s Rich Demers is a 6’1” and
258-pound fullback from the University of Massachusetts,
working as hard as any football player fighting to rise
above relative obscurity to be that small school gem
coveted by NFL teams just enough to be drafted and earn
a job at the next level.
If
anyone knows the meaning of hard work and struggle, Rich
does; he could lecture you thoroughly on where they fit
into life’s lessons. He wouldn’t know about the
privileged life of the Ivy League across the Charles
River or vacationing on Nantucket Island. Rich can tell
you about a different side of the Boston life ― the life
of an inner-city kid growing up without things so many
of us enjoy and take for granted…starting with a
father. When asked about his childhood, Rich’s answer
was simple and straight from the mouth of someone who
has lived it. “It’s like Biggie said…” Rich told me,
“Either you slingin' crack rock or you got a wicked jump
shot.” Thank God Rich was able to obtain the latter (in
a football sense).
Rich was forced to be a man early in life, growing up in
a house with all females, with his mother and two
sisters; he was the only man of the house as a child.
Perhaps this accounts for his freakish strength that
Rich possesses now as an athlete, but whatever the
reason, Rich became a man with super human strength, as
a boy in a man's body. When I say super human strength,
it’s meant in such a literal sense that it almost
doesn’t sound believable.
During one of his recent workouts for NFL scouts, Rich
was told by a scout after 39 225-pound bench press reps,
that eight of those would not be counted because they
only watch and count 31. Funny thing is, Rich wasn’t
even slowing down, and had to be told to quit. Another
example would be Rich hitting 275 pounds 29 times during
the very next day after having an upper body lift take
place. Joe DeFranco, Rich’s trainer (www.defrancostraining.com),
was short of being completely flabbergasted, stating “In
all of my years of training football players, I’ve never
had a kid with the freakish strength of Rich. The scary
thing is that his strength translates onto the field.
He’s not a power lifter who plays football; he’s a
football player who happens to be strong as hell.”
Rich started his College career at a smaller sister
school of the University of Massachusetts, UMass–Lowell.
Rich started every game for Lowell, but he had to split
time with another tailback who probably didn’t belong
there either. He averaged about 5 yards per carry, but
on a team that relied heavily on the pass due to a
small, young offensive line. After two rather
frustrating seasons, fate would have it that UMass–Lowell
was forced to shut down its struggling football
program. This would end up being the best thing that
could have possibly happened for Rich.
He
was immediately picked up by the bigger and more
well-known program within UMass, across the state, in
rural Amherst. When I asked him if it was a tough
transition his response was immediate. “Honestly, it
was like a blessing in disguise, it could have been the
best thing that happened to me in my life. For example,
if we didn’t drop the program I wouldn’t be answering
these questions right now.” It was a move that proved
to be the best thing for both him and the Minutemen of
UMass.
Rich Demers had a great career for the Minutemen. He
helped them win a national championship in his first
year there; carrying the ball 162 times for 846 yards
and 6 touchdowns. He was a huge part of some very good
offensive stats for UMass. To top it all off, he also
caught 47 passes for 316 yards. Rich was a threat
coming out of the backfield in receiving situations,
forcing opposing defenses to account for him as a threat
with his hands as well as his punishing runs.
I,
along with DBI Managing Editor (and UMass alum) John
Clifford, recently had the chance to present some
questions to Rich about his strength, his days at UMass,
and his possible NFL future.
DraftBoardInsider.com: I
am told your natural strength is incredible. What is it
you do (besides the natural God given ability you have
to move mountains) to maintain such a dominate level of
power?
Rich Demers:
Like Popeye I eat my spinach! I’ve always been into
lifting really heavy weights. I grew up watching Arnold
Schwarzenegger on TV and always wanted to look like
him. My motto has always been, “The only way to get big
muscles is to lift big weights.”
DBI: Is
Mike Alstott a fair comparison?
RD: My
whole college career I have been compared to Mike. It’s
a great honor to be compared to such a distinguished
athlete like him, literally every time I lined up at the
tailback spot, you could hear the defense scream out
“Alstott is in the game.” I’ve also always worn number
40 as well.
DBI:
You’ve lined up at tailback a time or two. I would
assume with your strength and speed you feel comfortable
lining up in a role such as Alstott, or even better yet
that of Jerome Bettis…Big, Powerful, and the main
attraction?
RD:
I’ve always loved getting the ball, ever since I first
started playing football, but I’m getting used to
blocking for thousand-yard rushers and it’s become a new
passion of mine.
DBI:
When did it really hit you that you had such amazing
strength?
RD:
Growing up I always had older friends who I worked out
with, but by my junior and senior years in high school I
was already built like a grown man.
DBI:
During your career you demonstrated that when you have
opportunities to touch the ball, you're able to make
plays, and that's included the passing game. The best
example would be your 10 touchdowns in 2003, half coming
on the ground, the other half catching the ball. At the
same time, the Minutemen had contributions from a number
of players in executing their ground game, which
produced the Atlantic 10's leading rusher. How do you
think an outside observer might misunderstand your
abilities or what you've been asked to do in the team
game? What you would say is an aspect of your game
that's underrated or something that you feel has seen
noticeable improvement?
RD: I
feel that my game has taken itself to the next level, my
ability to run with the ball as well as catch it are not
the only aspects of my game. The improvements that I
made in the running game towards run blocking are
phenomenal, and my ability to pass protect makes myself
the definition of a complete back!
DBI:
UMass had excellent production from its starting
tailback, Steve Baylark, in the two seasons you played
together. Comment about your college career, what was
your mindset when it came to playing on that team,
making a contribution on the field in your role at UMass?
RD:
The first year the two of us played together was my
junior season, my role in the offense was a lot more
complex, I was asked to do a lot more. For example I
was involved a lot more as a tailback; I started at
fullback, and split time with Steve at tail. That
season Steve was 3rd-team All-Atlantic Ten. My senior
season we got a whole new coaching staff, I thought I
was going to have a similar season as my junior year, if
not better. Going into camp I was playing a lot of
tailback until I was asked to play fullback exclusively
and be the featured back in the one back set. By the
end of the season Steve was leading the league in
rushing for the second straight season, and went from
third team to 1st-team All-Atlantic Ten.
DBI:
Your conference has produced some players that have been
productive in the NFL. Recent names that come to mind
would be former Minuteman Marcel Shipp and Dan Krieder,
another fullback. And when it comes to FBs in the draft
over the years, it's been 2nd day domain, but the trend
seems to be that more and more are being drafted overall
and taken earlier. How do you look at your opportunity
to play at the next level and the NFL draft coming from
a I-AA program and being a FB, what's your plan for the
next several months to get from where you are today to
where you want to be in September?
RD: I
just recently had my Pro-Day at Boston College, so now
all I can do is continue to train hard, and pray that
somebody was impressed with my workout. As far as
playing in the NFL, not every college athlete makes it
to the league, so it would be a blessing and a great honor
for me to be a part of the National Football League.
A
great honor indeed. Rich has overcome a lot of
adversity in his life, and those in his position deserve
the blessing of reward, perhaps that reward will be a
career in the NFL. Selflessly, Rich feels not for him,
but for his mother and sisters. Rich told me “My mother
played dual roles raising three children on her own. We
didn’t have much money growing up, but we always had
food on the table, and clothes on our backs.” He went
on to tell me, “I owe a lot to my mother. When times
were rough she was always there for me. It took a
while, but I finally realize for a woman it’s not easy
trying to raise a man. Since I was a little kid she’s
been my biggest fan.”
In
speaking with Rich’s agent, or his trainer, or anyone in
general, all one is likely to ever hear is what an
excellent worker Rich is. He is strong in more ways
than muscles, and it’s obviously been more than muscles
that has placed him where he is today. Given that it’s
never been easy for Rich, that’s made him strong as a
man. So despite all the adversity he’s faced since
childhood, his personal strength has kept him out of
trouble and out of jail.
When Rich isn’t lifting weights or working on his
football game, he’s as normal as any young man there
is. He likes to veg out when he gets the chance, but
that isn’t very often with his busy workout schedules
and training routines. Actually some of the very few
times he does get to veg out, it’s in a hot tub resting
his sore and strained body. Then there’s his fiancé.
For a person that’s been grounded as a person throughout
his life and places a high priority on the people
closest to him, it’s somehow not surprising that he has
managed to find time to spoil her as well. Though no
date has been set, wedding bells are in his future.
Rich told me, “In life, I feel like every thing happens
for a reason. As far back as I can remember I wouldn’t
change a thing. The life I have led up to this point has
made me the man I am today.” And a fine man he is
without question. It would have been real easy for Rich
to go down the other path that sadly so many inner city
kids do. Instead he chose to take the path of the
“wicked jump shot.” With just a few classes remaining
for a degree in sociology, Rich has already laid the
foundation for a better life for himself and his
family. Having lived the life Rich has, playing in the
NFL would be gravy for anyone else. Not for Rich, he’s
worked hard to get there, and with continued
determination, he will work hard to stay there for a
long time to come.
