Derrick Alexander

Derrick Scott Alexander (born November 6, 1971) is an American college football coach and former professional player. He most recently served as the head football coach for Avila University, a position he held from 2023 to 2025. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).

Alexander played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1989 to 1993, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in both 1992 and 1993. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft and played nine seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (1994–1995), Baltimore Ravens (1996–1997), Kansas City Chiefs (1998–2001), and Minnesota Vikings (2002). In 2000, he set a Kansas City Chiefs single-season record with 1,391 receiving yards.

Early life Alexander was born in Detroit in 1971. He attended Benedictine High School where he competed in football, basketball, track, and baseball. In basketball, he played at the forward position, averaged 19 points per game, and received second-team All-Catholic honors in 1989. In track, he ran 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, won the Class B Michigan championship in the 200-meter, finished second in the Class B long jump, and won the Catholic League finals in the 100-meter sprint. Alexander's father, John, encouraged him to concentrate on one sport, but his mother, Marion, encouraged him to compete in multiple sports: "If he's playing sports he can't be running the streets and getting into trouble."

In January 1989, Alexander was rated No. 2 on the Detroit Free Press "Fab 50" list of the top football prospects in the State of Michigan. His mother expressed surprise at the recruiting process: "Every college you can think of has called. I know he had a lot of athletic ability, but I guess I am surprised at how much attention he is getting. This is unbelievable to me." He signed with Michigan in February 1989.

University of Michigan 1989–1991 Alexander enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1989. As a freshman, he caught six passes for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Prior to his sophomore season, Alexander was awarded Michigan's No. 1 jersey previously worn by the school's top receivers. Alexander responded with a strong performance, catching 31 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned 13 kickoffs for an average of 27.8 yards per return.

1992 season Alexander returned from the injury in 1992 as a redshirt junior. He totaled 50 receptions for 740 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns, rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown, and returned 26 punts for an average of 14.3 yards and two touchdowns. At the end of the season, he was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team receiver on the 1992 All-Big Ten Conference football team and a third-team player on the All-America team.

1993 season As a redshirt senior in 1993, he totaled 35 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns and returned 16 punts for an average of 10.2 yards and two touchdowns.

Career statistics Alexander concluded his Michigan career having appeared in 44 games with 125 receptions for 1,977 yards, 22 touchdowns, and an average of 15.8 yards per reception. He returned 42 punts for 534 yards (12.7-yard average) and four touchdowns. As a rookie, he led the Browns with 48 receptions for 828 yards. With Bill Belichick as head coach, Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, Alexander at wide receiver, and Leroy Hoard at running back, the 1994 Browns compiled an 11–5 record. After the season, Alexander was named to the 1994 NFL All-Rookie Team. He started only two games, tallying 15 receptions for 216 yards.

Baltimore Ravens Following the 1995 season, the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens . Under new head coach Ted Marchibroda, Alexander regained his role as a starter and tallied 62 receptions for 1,099 yards. His average of 17.7 yards per catch was sixth best in the NFL.

Alexander had his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 1997. He also had the longest reception in the NFL that year—a 92-yard touchdown catch against the Seattle Seahawks on December 7.

As of 2006, he was the Ravens' all-time leader in yards-per reception (16.6). He also had the most 100-yard receiving games in Ravens history, as well as the longest pass reception.

Kansas City Chiefs As a free agent in March 1998, Alexander signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. At Kansas City, Alexander was reunited with his college quarterback Elvis Grbac. During the 1998 season, Alexander led the Chiefs with 992 receiving yards and averaged 18.4 yards per reception.

In 1999, started 15 games for the Chiefs and caught 54 passes for 832 yards.

An Achilles injury hampered Alexander's performance in 2001. He finished the season with 27 receptions for 470 yards. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in mid-November and underwent surgery the later that month. He missed the remainder of the season, finishing his year with 14 receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown.

Retirement On July 22, 2005, he signed a one-day ceremonial contract with the Chiefs to retire as a Chief. He ended his NFL career having appeared in 126 games with 417 receptions for 6,971 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also had 210 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown.

He later participated in the NFL Players Association's coaching internship program. In 2015, he coached wide receivers at Wilmington College in Ohio. He later served from 2016 to 2018 as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Avila University in Kansas City.

Alexander was hired by Avila University to be the team's head football coach for the 2023 season.

Head coaching record