John Dergo
Morris High School
Impact Statement
“I like to be the guy who can come up and hit instead of always being hit.” -John Dergo
Biography
He won’t be playing football in college, but no player anywhere was more versatile or more important to his team than Dergo. He wore No. 5 and was a five-way standout as a running back, linebacker, kick returner, placekicker and punter.
As a senior, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year rushed for 3,010 yards – the second-highest single-season total in state history – and scored a state-record 53 touchdowns to lead Morris to a 14-0 record and the Class 5A state title. His 110 career touchdowns also are a state record. In a 28-21 quarterfinal victory over eight-time state champion Joliet Catholic Academy, Dergo rushed for 366 yards, scored four touchdowns, and made two game-saving interceptions in the end zone, and he added 206 yards, a touchdown and 14 tackles in the state title game. He also averaged 36 yards as a punter and kicked 53 of 64 extra points and two of three field goals, including a 37-yarder.
Dergo was a two-time state wrestling champion and earned a wrestling scholarship to the University of Illinois. While at Illinois, Dergo competed in wrestling and was a four time NCAA Qualifier and placed 5th at the 2010 NCAA Championships as a Senior.
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