Sports
Dearius Christmas is now coaching football at St. Aloysius
Last updated:
VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) —
After building one of the most decorated football careers to come out of Warren Central High School, Dearius Christmas has found a new purpose on the sidelines.
Christmas recently joined the coaching staff at St. Aloysius High School, where he is working with the Flashes’ linebackers and running backs under first-year head coach John Baker. Although he has only been with the program for a week, he said he is already embracing the opportunity to mentor the next generation of athletes.
“It’s only been a week, but I’m very excited,” Christmas said. “It’s different because I didn’t know these guys until a week ago, but we’re building that bond now.”
For Christmas, coaching is more than just staying involved in football. He believes it is a calling.
“I prayed to God and asked him for a sign, and I think He gave me that sign,” Christmas said. “I felt like it was time for me to answer His call and be obedient.”
With the season approaching, Christmas said his focus extends beyond wins and losses. He wants to help develop young men both on and off the field.
“I want to make sure our minds and expectations are where they need to be,” he said. “I hope to develop the positions that I’m coaching so we can prepare them for battles on and off the field.”
Christmas brings an impressive football résumé to the St. Aloysius coaching staff.
A Warren Central graduate, he quickly established himself as one of the state’s top linebackers. He helped lead the Vikings to three consecutive winning seasons while recording 371 tackles over his three-year varsity career. He earned first-team All-State honors as both a junior and senior.
Despite being considered undersized by many recruiters, Christmas signed with East Mississippi Community College, where he immediately proved he belonged by leading the Lions in tackles during his lone season with the program.
His performance earned him a scholarship to Grambling State University in 2016. In his first season with the Tigers, he started at linebacker and finished with 70 tackles and four sacks while helping Grambling capture the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and the Black College National Championship.
Christmas elevated his game even further over the next two seasons, becoming one of the nation’s top defensive players. He was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. During the 2017 season, he recorded 88 tackles and five sacks while earning All-American honors as well as another SWAC Championship Title.
Although his standout college career did not lead to an NFL opportunity, Christmas has continued to build a successful life off the field. He now works at ERDC while returning to the sport that shaped him.
Now, instead of making tackles, Christmas is teaching others how to make them. His journey from standout linebacker to coach is giving him the opportunity to invest in young athletes, passing along the lessons, discipline and faith that carried him through every level of the game.
