Warrendale resident plays in the NFL

Desmond King of the Los Angeles Chargers - Photo by Jeffery Beall/Wikimedia

I learned today, thanks to a Google news alert, that Desmond King grew up in the Warrendale neighborhood in Detroit. King is currently a cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers where he wears the number 20.

All of this means that it will be a homecoming of sorts when the Los Angeles Chargers take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field this Thanksgiving. According to published news reports, more than 100 of King's family and friends are expected to be in attendance to watch him play that day.

I would probably be even more excited about this if King played for the Detroit Lions. However, I' have learned to take my happiness where I can find it.

Besides, I think everyone can agree that Desmond King has a better chance at getting a Super Bowl ring playing for the Los Angeles Chargers than he ever would playing for the Lions.

Desmond King of the Iowa Hawkeyes - Photo by Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports

In his teen years, Desmond King played for the East English Prepartory Academy in Detroit. It was there that he set a Michigan high school record with 29 interceptions. He also set a school record for career rushing yards. He had 2,360 yards during his senior year alone.

Desmond King played for the University of Iowa during his college career. He had 263 tackles in 53 games as a Hawkeye. This was in addition to 14 interceptions.

He was named an All-American during his junior year and received the Jim Thorpe Award in 2015 as the best defensive back in all of college football. This, of course, led to Desmond King being drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

It's always been a dream of mine to watch the Detroit Lions play in the Super Bowl. I will happily settle, though, for watching a player from Warrendale on the NFL's biggest stage.