STEPHENVILLE – Two former Tarleton Texan football players who have made their way to the National Football League will return to campus to be recognized and sign autographs for Tarleton fans.
The two former football lettermen will sign autographs Wednesday, Feb. 7 when the Texans and TexAnns host Angelo State in Wisdom Gym. The women will tip-off at 6 p.m. before the men's game at 8 p.m.
James Dearth was a sixth-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 1999 and appeared in two games for the Browns. He spent the 2000 season on the Tennessee Titans' practice squad before signing a free agent contract with the Jets and playing in every game during the 2001 season.
Dearth, who served the last six seasons as the Jets' starting deep snapper and backup tight end, hauled in the first touchdown reception of his NFL career in 2001 in a 15-14 victory over the Cincinatti Bengals.
Listed by the Jets as 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Dearth played at Tarleton from 1996-98, tallying 77 catches for 992 yards and nine TDs in three seasons. He actually started at quarterback in the Texans' opening game in 1996 before moving to tight end, where he twice was named first team All-LSC South Division and second team NCAA Division II All-America.
Dearth, a native of Scurry, Texas, was named the 1998 LSC South Offensive Lineman of the Year as he finished his senior season with 19 catches for 333 yards in the final four games. He also earned All-America honors in the shot put in 1998 while competing for Tarleton's track and field team.
Tarleton's other former letterman who is currently playing in the National Football League is Derrick Ross of the Kansas City Chiefs. Ross signed a three-year free agent deal with the Chiefs after he was undrafted in the 2006 Draft.
The runningback spent two seasons with the Texans where he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-America selection. He saw duty in 19 contests for the Texans, gaining 3,072 yards on 490 carries. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and crossed the goalline 35 times. He also grabbed 44 passes for 402 yards (9.1 yards per catch average) with one touchdown.
Listed by the Chiefs as 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, Ross was a two-year letterwinner for the Texans where he played in nine games as a senior in 2005. He rushed 236 times for 1,512 yards, ranking third in Division II. He led the squad with 13 rushing touchdowns and had 17 receptions for 192 yards with one score. Ross had three 200-yard games, including a single-game school record 269 yards against Western New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2005. He was named the Lone Star Conference South Division Offensive Back of the Year, First Team All-LSC South Division and was the LSC South Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
As a junior in 2004, Ross gained 1,560 yards on 254 carries to set new school records in both categories. He also scored 22 touchdowns while carrying the ball. Ross also had 27 receptions for 210 receiving yards. He scored a team-high 134 points, which was the highest total in LSC history since the 1986 season. He was only the fourth player in the last 14 seasons to reach the 1,500-yard plateau. He was named a First Team All-LSC South Division honoree.
Prior to his stint at Tarleton, Ross rushed 208 times for 1,600 yards as a sophomore at Blinn Junior College while earning All-America honors. In high school, Ross posted all-district honors as a junior and senior for Huntsville High School.
