On March 23, 2020, it looked like Dee Delaney’s NFL dreams were slipping away. He had just been released by Washington, and the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing. With so much uncertainty and a lack of success in his first two years out of college, another opportunity seemed unlikely. Just 18 months later, the Lowco product will take to Raymond James Stadium to play his first game for the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Delaney’s journey began in a tiny dot on the map called Gardens Corner just off the South Carolina coast. The gifted athlete developed elite quickness, an unstoppable motor, and spectacular vertical abilities throughout his early years. He played four different sports at Whale Branch Early College High School, and excelled at all of them.
But football was his true passion.
After a monster senior campaign under Jerry Hatcher in which he caught 14 touchdown passes and had three interceptions on defense, Delaney accepted an offer to The Citadel and instantly became a star in the Southern Conference. By his sophomore season, he was an every-week starter and became a thorn in opposing quarterbacks’ plans, anticipating routes and racking up the interceptions on his way to becoming the first Bulldog to claim Walter Camp All-America honors in two separate seasons. By his senior year, Delaney knew he had the skills and the intangibles to make it to the professional stage. But first, he had to prove it at the highest level of college football.
In the fall of 2017, Delaney took his talents to South Beach, joining an up-and-coming Miami Hurricanes squad with the hopes of an ACC title. He missed three games due to injury that year, but when he was on the field he quickly made an impact. In a key road game at Florida State, Delaney stepped up, picking off a pass to help his side earn a massive conference win. Thanks to his leadership and timely playmaking in the secondary, the ‘Canes clinched the ACC Coastal Division and a phenomenal 10-win season. In the final game of the year, Delaney donned the Turnover Chain again with a fumble recovery against Wisconsin to put the finishing touches on a special college career.
Delaney was confident that he would get a look at the professional level, but just like fellow Beaufort native Ron Parker, it was an uphill battle from the start. After his initial signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, Delaney didn’t do enough during camp to earn a roster spot, relegating the college standout to the practice squad. In October, London was calling for his regular season debut at Wembley, but he played in just one snap. The next two years saw him bounce around to four different teams, the chances of roster stability fading each time his name changed hands from Jacksonville to Miami to the Jets to Washington. Then, just days after the pandemic sent the country into lockdown in March 2020, he was released.
At that point, we weren’t even sure when the next NFL game would be played. A second chance for Delaney looked almost like an impossibility, but the former Whale Branch star rooted in his Christian faith never gave up hope. He took advantage of the time he had to gain a leg up on his future competition. With the help of trainers CJ Brown and Casser Middleton, Delaney stayed in shape and improved his strength, quickness, and agility to be prepared for whenever the door opened again. After a summer and fall of uncertainty, hope was beginning to fade once again. He was very close to closing the door entirely and joining the military. Then, the Super Bowl champs came calling.
The Buccaneers were in need of some depth in the secondary, and Bruce Arians gave the 26-year-old veteran another shot in 2021. But as the summer dragged into July camp in Tampa, the odds of Delaney making the roster looked to be slim with a deep assortment of competition. However, his experience from previous years helped him as the camp continued. He gave every rep and play his maximum effort, whether it was on defense or on special teams.
After Delaney’s preseason debut against Cincinnati, Arians was immediately impressed by his high energy and dedication on each snap. Despite having an interception negated by a penalty, Delaney’s confidence began to grow. Arians was sold on his skillset and his intangibles and gave him the highest snap count (79%) of any defensive player against Tennessee. Delaney took advantage of the large chunk of playing time, making five tackles and continuing to show his positive impact in pass coverage. With the final preseason game on the horizon, he had worked himself onto the bubble of the 53-man final roster.
But he knew the job wasn’t done yet. A lackluster performance could be enough to possibly end the dream for good. Before the road matchup with the Houston Texans, he made a bet with a friend. If he snagged two picks in the Saturday night contest, he’d give him his jersey. Three hours and two interceptions later, including a game-clinching theft jumping the Texan receiver’s route, the jersey was his to give away.
And three days later, the 53-man roster spot was his to keep. As Delaney waited in the car line to pick up his daughter from school on a Tuesday afternoon, he heard the life-changing news. Just 18 months after thinking his football career was over, Dee Delaney was now a teammate of Tom Brady’s with the Super Bowl LV champions.
On Thursday night, his Tampa Bay Bucs will welcome the Dallas Cowboys into Raymond James Stadium. For Delaney, it will be the culmination of a dream since his days in Gardens Corner. And for the many young athletes growing up in the Lowcountry including his daughter, it’s an affirmation that they too can make it from little Beaufort to realize their big dreams.
By Wes Kerr
