Deron Cherry
A cerebral safety who transformed from an undrafted free agent into a six-time Pro Bowler and the heart of the Kansas City Chiefs defense.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American football player·Birthday: September 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Deron Cherry intercepted 50 passes over eleven seasons, all with the Kansas City Chiefs, and was selected to the Pro Bowl six consecutive times. At Rutgers University, he was a standout punter and defensive back but went entirely overlooked in the 1981 NFL draft. The Chiefs signed him as a free agent, cut him before the season, then brought him back to play safety. He proved his detractors wrong by anchoring the Chiefs' secondary with exceptional intelligence, ball-hawking skills, and hard hits. Off the field, he was a respected leader and later became a part-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, transitioning from the turf to the front office.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Deron was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Deron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Deron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Intercepted 50 passes in his NFL career, returning them for 685 yards and three touchdowns.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl for six consecutive seasons from 1983 to 1988.
- Named a First-team All-Pro three times (1984, 1986, 1988).
Did You Know?
He was originally signed by the Chiefs as a punter, not a defensive back.
He is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame and the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame.
After retirement, he became a minority owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
“They cut me, but I came back and made them see my value on the field.”
