Ricky DeBerry

Linebacker / Towson

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Ricky DeBerry:  I am 6’2, 242.   

Alex Khvatov:  How did you prepare for the 2020 season with no offseason training?

Ricky DeBerry:  I have a gym in my garage.  I have a field just down the street from my house.  I do lots of cone work, lots of cardio work, working on my agility, and jumping rope.  A gym opened back up down the street, and I go there throughout the week.  Our strength and conditioning coach did a great job sending us stuff. 

Alex Khvatov:  Tell us about your recovery process from the injury that you suffered last season.

Ricky DeBerry:  I tore my ACL in the second quarter of the first game of the season.  I didn’t get surgery right away because my knee was very swollen.  I got surgery four weeks after the injury.  The recovery process went fairly well.  Our medical stuff did a phenomenal job.  Bringing stability and strengthening my quad muscles.  I got my overall strength back.  During the spring, I was getting back to my normal self.  I was close to 70-80% back when coronavirus hit.  Now I am 100% back. 

Alex Khvatov:  Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?

Ricky DeBerry:  I played basketball, which is my second love.  I played AAU my whole life.  I worked on my cardio without even thinking about it.   

Alex Khvatov:  What positions did you play in high school? 

Ricky DeBerry:  I played everything.  ILB, OLB, DE, WR, RB, safety, kick return, and punt return. 

Alex Khvatov:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?

Ricky DeBerry:  I had a few offers from all around the country.  My top eight schools were UVA, VA Tech, Penn State, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee. 

Alex Khvatov:  How did you wind up at Oklahoma? 

Ricky DeBerry:  I had a relationship with coach Montgomery.  We had a great bond.  He is with the Packers now.  I wanted to play for coach Stoops.  They had a great defense.  It felt like home being there for three years.  I will forever be grateful to them, and I still have friends on the team.  I am an alum.  I will always root for them.  I won three rings and made two playoff appearances. 

Alex Khvatov:  Tell us about your career with the Sooners for three seasons.

Ricky DeBerry:  It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go.  I had the opportunity to play with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.  I wouldn’t change anything.  It is part of my process.  I played a little and made the most of it.  I am thankful to the coaches for giving me a chance.  It was a blessing in the sky.  I saw how hard guys work.  Oklahoma was a learning experience.  They helped me become a better man and a better football player.       

Alex Khvatov:  Why did you transfer to Towson? 

Ricky DeBerry:  I graduated from Oklahoma.  I wasn’t even talking to them a week or two weeks before camp started.  I wanted to make sure that I made a calculated decision.  I want to be closer to home and have more access to my siblings.  It was a good area and a good school.  They had coaches that cared about their players.  It felt like a family.  Their defense fit me well.      

Alex Khvatov:  How would you describe your last two seasons at Towson?      

Ricky DeBerry:  I have been able to build a great relationship with the coaches.  I have become part of a great family.  I plan to come back in the future and help the program.  Coach Ambrose is a phenomenal coach.  We had a pretty good season in 2018.  I played DE.  I was about 260 or 265.  It was a good first year, coming back from not starting the last three years at Oklahoma.  I trained hard for the 2019 season.  It was supposed to be my senior year.  I had eight tackles in the second quarter of my first game.  I got hurt.  It was an eye-opening experience.  I went down and felt helpless.  It was a sad time for me mentally.  I was able to improve my leadership skills and encourage the guys from the sideline last season.     

Alex Khvatov:  What can we expect from your team this upcoming season? 

Ricky DeBerry:  We have a lot of great players coming back.  We can make a run and win a national championship.  Tom Flacco was a great player, but we have a QB Jake Constantine from Weber State who transferred here.  I expect big things from him.   

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths?

Ricky DeBerry:  I am definitely fast to the ball.  My leadership and high IQ.  I make the guys around me better.  I always encourage guys.     

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

Ricky DeBerry:  I am hungry.  I want to get better at everything.  I need to become more flexible.  I have to become more patient and diagnose plays better.     

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your career up to this point?

Ricky DeBerry:  For my career, I can’t say that I have had it yet.  It hasn’t happened yet.  I have had some ups and downs. 

Alex Khvatov:  What is the biggest lesson that you have taken away from your coaching staff? 

Ricky DeBerry:  Everything has come full circle for me.  One of my best friends growing up, Demarco Jackson, passed away two years ago.  His dad Robbie Jackson played at Towson. 

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Ricky DeBerry:  I am an Indianapolis Colts fan.  I liked Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.   

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite NFL player?

Ricky DeBerry:  Two of my favorites are Khalil Mack and Darius Leonard.  They had a similar journey to mine.     

Alex Khvatov:  What players on your team should we keep an eye on for this upcoming season?

Ricky DeBerry:  DE Bryce Carter and DL Ron Johnson who is a transfer from Michigan.  He tore his ACL last year like me.  S Jamal Gay got hurt last year.  #21 LB Chizurum Umunakwe is Nigerian.  He physically looks the part.  He is a physical freak.  Christian Dixon is the other LB.  He is quick and instinctive.  Safety S.J. Brown is a high IQ guy.  He hits hard.  He is also a good overall person.  RB Shane Simpson is coming back from an injury.  He is a very versatile back.     

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?

Ricky DeBerry:  One guy that stood out was Deshaun Watson.  He is a great player.  Kyler Murray is also a great player.  I played with him.  He is a short guy, but he is so fast.  He puts the ball on the money.  He has heart.  He is a successful human being.    

Alex Khvatov:  What is the most important trait for a LB?

Ricky DeBerry:  Confidence and IQ.  The greatest linebackers bring confidence to the game.  They are the QB’s of the defense.  They know where everybody is supposed to be.  They bring tenacity and ferociousness.  They get to the ball.  They also have to have energy.     

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about football?

Ricky DeBerry:  Everything.  Football is one of those games that you can’t describe.  People are screaming in the stands.  You can impose your will on an another man and rely on the man next to you.  One guy just can’t take over the game.  The hitting, the noise and the intensity.  The grind, the hustle and the heart.  It requires all of it. 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Ricky DeBerry:  I like watching movies, spending time with family, fishing, and playing paintball.  I like to shoot basketball with my brother and friends.  I like customizing cars.  I like to grill outside and cook.  My father taught me to learn a little bit of everything.  I am very versatile.  I want to maximize my life.  This pandemic has been a blessing.  It gives everyone a chance to try something new.  You can plan out what you want to do in life.     

Alex Khvatov:  What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?

Ricky DeBerry:  My bachelor’s degree was in human relations.  I love to talk, make people laugh and build relationships.  You just need that one person to like you and draft you.  I am all about relationships. My dad is a counselor, and he works with juveniles.  My dad played DE at Virginia Union.  I already got my masters.  I graduated a couple of weeks ago.  It was in professional studies. 

Alex Khvatov:  What makes you unique?

Ricky DeBerry:  I think fast on my feet.  I like to tell jokes.  I have a comeback for days.  I love being around people.  I am a very unselfish person.  I want to make sure that everyone else is good before me.  I go the extra mile for others.  I am not a flashy guy.  I am family-oriented.  I am into church.  I am tech-savvy.  I like figuring things out.     

Alex Khvatov:  What five words best describe you?

Ricky DeBerry:  Witty, intelligent, versatile, inspiring, and caring.