Category Archives: Alumni Profile

Alum Profile: Mike Dereus ’16 is a “Shining Light” On and Off the Field at Georgetown

Michael Dereus ’15 at Williston as he signed to play football for Georgetown

By Matt Liebowitz

In a sport where so many of his plays could end up on highlight reels, Michael Dereus’ selflessness, his resistance to reflect on his talent and accomplishments, can seem almost comical.

Dereus, a sophomore wide receiver at Georgetown, was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year his freshman year on the Hoyas. He said he was “unsure” but he “may have been in contention” for a larger, nationwide rookie award, but admitted, “I don’t really remember.”

“Awards are nice,” Dereus, 20, said, “but I just worry about getting better as a person and on the football team.”

This spirit of generosity is something Dereus said he grew up with, and something he carried from a childhood in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, to Another Course to College (ACC), his charter high school, and eventually to Williston, where he entered as a junior, and from where he graduated in 2016. Continue reading