New York, N.Y.----- San Jose State University senior Derrick Deese, Jr., is one of eight national semifinalists for the 2020 John Mackey Award honoring the best tight end in college football.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound third-year player has 11 receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns, all on third-down plays, for the Spartans (5-0, 5-0 Mountain West), one of only nine remaining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision's 2020 regular season.
His two touchdown catches in the season-opening 17-6 win over Air Force marked the first time he had scored two touchdowns in a game and was a first by a Spartan in 2020.
Deese, Jr., came to San Jose State after two seasons as a wide receiver at Golden West College. He was a first-team All-Southern League player as a sophomore with 37 receptions for 658 yards and eight touchdowns.
From the eight semifinalists, three finalists will be named on December 22. The 2020 winner of the John Mackey Award will be announced on January 7, 2021 on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
The John Mackey Award is named after the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end who starred with Baltimore Colts in the 1960's and concluded his career with the San Diego Chargers in 1972. Recognized as the player who revolutionized how to play the tight end position, he was named the first president of the National Football League Players Association in 1970.
Deese, Jr., is the most recent Spartan named a John Mackey Award semifinalist in the award's history dating back to 2000. In 2015, Billy Freeman, playing his junior season at San Jose State earned the same honor.