DeMarquis Gates

BIOGRAPHY

DeMarquis Larenz Gates, born March 7, 1996, is an esteemed linebacker in American football currently associated with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). Born in Lovejoy, Georgia, he attended Lovejoy High School where he discovered his passion and talent for football. His standout performance in high school football earned him the All-Region title in his junior year, where he made 132 tackles. Despite a serious ACL injury that sidelined him for his senior year, Gates’s talent was undeniable. In fact, he was ranked the number 16 outside linebacker in his class by 247Sports, which voraciously follows high school football prospects. His headway into football supremacy became more pronounced when he signed with Ole Miss on March 28, 2013.

At Ole Miss, Gates put on an impressive performance, further establishing himself as a formidable linebacker. In November 2015, in a remarkable career milestone, he got his second career start against LSU. Consequently, his performance earned him the title of Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Week, after he achieved 14 tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. His record in tackles was impeccable, leading the team from 2015 to 2017. This feat made him the first Ole Miss player to repeat this since Abdul Jackson from 1992 to 1994.

Gates’s ability to perform under pressure was noted in the 2017 season when he was named to the esteemed Dick Butkus Award watchlist before climbing his way up to top performer with an astounding 114 tackles. His commendable solo tackles ranked him 13th in the entire FBS, which consisted of around 130 teams, and made him the first player from Ole Miss to record over 100 tackles since Patrick Willis in 2006. It’s noteworthy that across 49 career games, Gates’s statistics were formidable, recording 282 tackles, nine pass breakups, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

In a surprising turn of events, Gates went undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft but was soon signed by the Cleveland Browns on May 22, 2018. However, this engagement was short-lived as he was waived on June 14.

Gates then moved to the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). It was here that Gates made a notable comeback by being named the AAF Defensive Player of the week on March 28, 2019. Unfortunately, this triumphant time was cut short when the AAF folded on April 2, 2019. It is significant to mention that Gates led the AAF in tackles with 52 and forced fumbles with five.

April 2019 saw Gates signed by the Washington Redskins. However, this association was again brief, with Gates being waived in June of the same year. He then found a spot with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL during Phase 3 Round 8 of the 2020 XFL Draft. Before the season was prematurely ended due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Gates recorded strong stats with 32 tackles, tied for the team lead in sacks, and scored a game-winning fumble recovery against the Dallas Renegades. However, this career momentum was halted as his contract was terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.

Not deterred by this setback, Gates signed up with the Minnesota Vikings on March 25, 2020. Despite being waived on August 13, 2020, Gates persevered. He was drafted by the Blues of The Spring League during its player selection process on October 12, 2020. He then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on December 17, 2020 and recorded five tackles and three special teams tackles during the CFL’s shortened 2021 regular season.

Gates took another significant career step when he was selected by the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL) during the 29th round of the 2022 USFL draft. Unfortunately, he was ruled inactive for the game against the Tampa Bay Bandits on May 7, 2022, but got reassigned to the active roster a week later.

He then signed up with the Chicago Bears on August 6, 2022, but was waived on August 30, 2022. However, maintaining the perseverance that has carried him through his career, he was added to the practice squad and later promoted to the active roster on January 4, 2023.

Yet another turn in Gates’s career came when he was again waived by the Bears and sent back to the practice squad on August 29, 2023. Gates continued to show his tenacity, managing to claw his way back onto the active roster in December. His contract, however, didn’t last, and he was released on January 4, 2024.

Despite a year of constant career shifts, Gates’s resilience remained intact. He revisited his journey by re-signing with the Stallions, now under the United Football League (UFL), on February 13, 2024. He re-signed with the team later that year on September 20, 2024. As of now, DeMarquis Gates continues to prove himself, reflecting the determination, dedication and solid skills that have carried him throughout his career.