Durant grad Demarcus Governor has made his dreams come true playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Millions of American youngsters strap on shoulder pads and other protective gear to play America’s favorite sport: football. Of those, a little more than a million play high school ball. That figure whittles down to approximately 77,000 college football players at NCAA-member schools. When talking about the number of active players in the National Football League, the number shrinks again to approximately 1,700.
That’s rarified air.
It’s air that 2019 Durant High School graduate Demarcus “Woo” Governor is breathing. The 5’10”, 190-pound cornerback, was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent on April 27. His mom Angelina Valdez and Pastor Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins were in the stands at Allegiant Stadium on Sat., Aug. 17 where he played his first home game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Valdez said she was grateful that Demarcus’ dad, Marques Governor, watched their younger child so she could attend the game. “I’m so glad I got to go because it was an amazing experience,” she said.
In some ways, it was like every other football game he’s ever played but in other ways it a completely different experience. “The first tackle he made was a strong tackle and I got emotional,” she said. “I’m so happy for him because it’s a rarity that parents get to see their child live out their dreams and I can’t ask for anything else.”
Valdez and her family, who have been attending Greater New Hope since 2006, said Callins made game-day calls to Demarcus when he was in college to pray for him. Her son was touched when he was able to pray with him in person before the game. “As Demarcus has gotten older he’s developed his own faith and he’s steadfast in it,” she said. “He finds solace in his faith, he knows he can work hard but he knows that at the end of the day you’ve gotta pray, have faith and let things go.”
As he stepped on the field for the first time as a Raider, he had one thought on his mind. “Thank you, God.”
While faith was a big part of his life, so was football. “Ball was his first word,” said Valdez. He began playing for the Plant City Eagles when he was four, the age he also became determined to play football in college and go to school for free. “He’s always been very goal driven,” said Valdez.
Governor also played for the Brandon Cowboys and Turkey Creek Trojans before joining Durant’s team, where he played three years on varsity and finished his career with five interceptions and 1,000 career return yards.
In college, he played four years at Northern Iowa after transferring from Central Michigan. In 2023, he played in all 11 games and recorded 62 tackles, three for loss, three passes breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
The Raiders final cut day is August 27, which means teams have to make all personnel decisions by the end of that day. Valdez and her family have faith, and hope, that he’ll make it on that final 53-man roster.
To the young players following in his footsteps, he offered a few words of encouragement. “You won’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel but trust your faith, trust your vision, and stay the course through the process,” he said. “Everyone has their own journey.”
