“If you’re consistently preparing yourself and putting in the work, the cream will rise to the top and you will find yourself in a position to make things happen for yourself,” said Moorestown native Dereck Faulkner, who received a Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University this month.
Moorestown native and former Philadelphia Eagle player Dereck Faulkner has accomplished a lot so far, but this month he reached another major milestone: earning his Ph.D. in designing sustainable systems at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, with a concentration in executive leadership and organization development.
“Pursuing a Ph.D. was eye-opening, and the development was immense,” Faulkner said, “in the sense of the level of research, the level of detail, the level of reading and writing … I never thought that I would have pursued it, but I just had a hunch, and the one thing about me is that I was always looking to be a person of curiosity …
“I had to push my competitive nature somewhere else,” he added, “meaning I’m competitive in business, I’m competitive in the projects I work on, and I was also competitive in the sense of, let me see if I can take on this challenge.”
Faulkner was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, while his parents were stationed overseas; dad Len and mother LaCarole were both U.S. Army Officers. The family moved to Moorestown from Willingboro 25 years ago, but Faulkner’s journey began on local football fields, where he was a standout wide receiver for Moorestown High School, earning All-South Jersey honors. In his youth, Faulkner was coached by his dad, a former football star athlete at Virginia State University.
He was already a standout basketball player, but Faulkner went on to receive a full athletic scholarship for Hampton University in Virginia, playing Division I football while earning his bachelor’s degree in business management. At Hampton University, Faulkner emerged as a four-year starter and earned the prestigious distinction of being a three-time MEAC Conference all-academic team student athlete.
During that time, he clinched the victory as a three-time MEAC conference champion, and as part of the 2005 and 2006 National Black College Championship football teams.
Dereck Faulkner signed as a priority rookie free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007.
In 2007, Faulkner signed as a priority rookie free agent (a player who is not drafted in the NFL draft but is still eligible to sign with any team as a free agent) with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was mentored by former professional football player and hall of famer Mike Quick. With the Eagles, he practiced under former head coach Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, former Eagles quarterback.
“It was definitely an experience being able to come back home and play for a local team and get that opportunity by Howie (Howie Roseman, executive vice president of the team) and Mr. Lurie (owner Jeff Lurie),” Faulkner recalled.
“I had a really, really, strong time there, and I was able to show everyone that I belonged on the field with some of the guys that I looked up to at that time. It instilled a lot of things in me and I knew that I belonged, and I gained the respect of my peers.”
Faulkner’s professional football career included time in both the NFL and the Canadian Football League, with appearances in media outlets like The Philadelphia Inquirer, Eagles Camp Insider 2007 and local TV channels and Comcast.
Following his football career, Faulkner earned his MBA in 2013 from George Washington University School of Business, where he concentrated on strategic marketing and nonprofit management. He also launched multiple business ventures and became a leading voice and contributor with athlete transitions, youth mentorship and veteran support.
Faulkner founded Athletes For Vets, a nonprofit supporting military veterans and families, in 2011. He was previously president of the New Jersey/New York chapter of the NFLPA (NFL Players Association), and had charitable partnerships with Toys for Tots, the nonprofit People for People – Philadelphia and the Tabernacle Baptist Church, and has engaged with the community as part of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically black college.
Faulkner’s work has created opportunities in underserved communities, promoted wellness and education among youth, supported military families and championed minority-owned enterprises. He often speaks at schools, coaching the next generation or launching community-focused projects.
Faulkner noted that he’s incredibly thankful for those who’ve helped shape his journey thus far, including his family; the Moorestown community; his former high-school coaches; and school teammate Albert Young, among others.
“If you’re consistently looking to prepare yourself, your preparation will ultimately meet success,” he emphasized, “because you’re constantly putting yourself in a position to get better, and to put yourself in a position to be able to rise to the occasion. So many times – as humans – we’re constantly asking ourselves or we’re asking a higher power to put (us) in a (certain) position, but truthfully, are you even prepared when it gets here? A lot of us aren’t.
” … If you’re consistently preparing yourself and putting in the work, the cream will rise to the top and you will find yourself in a position to make things happen for yourself, and (you will) put yourself in the best position,” Faulkner added.
“It may not happen when you’re ready, it may be a waiting game, but if you constantly put yourself in a position of high-level preparation, you’ll be successful.”
