The Jacksonville Jaguars tight end, Evan Engram is reaching career highs with his extraordinary skills on the field. We have to thank his dad for his athletic genes. Yes, you heard it right, Evan got his football skills from his father, Derrick Engram who used to play college-level football and basketball.
Derrick’s athletic days were short-lived but he is still living this dream through his children. His son is an NFL player and his daughter is a professional basketball player. Let’s discuss more about Derrick and his relationship with his kids in the article below.
Derrick Engram Is a Former Football & Basketball Player
Evan’s father, Derrick is a former well-known athlete. He has excelled in football and basketball since high school. He was the captain of both sports in his senior year at Rockledge High School.
He loved both sports and said,” I pour as much heart and soul into basketball as I do football.” His high school coach, Joe Binney shared how Engram is a natural athlete who worked very hard at his games. He even had a chance of playing at the professional level but Engram quit sports after college and entered the business world.
Besides, from 1991 to 1993, Engram was part of the Running Eagle basketball team at Life University. The team also won the NAIA national championships. Similarly, his college group won almost 60 games in total.
Engram Hopped From One College To Another
He went to six universities before settling at Life University where he finally graduated. After graduating from Rockledge High School, Derrick signed with the University of Louisville to play football. However, he transferred to Brevard College, now Eastern Florida for two years and to Bethune Cookman before returning to his first college. Engram again left for West Georgia and then moved to St. Thomas and Pikeville College.
After hopping from one college to another in the early 90s, he finally settled at Life University in 1991. He graduated with a degree on Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993. His college years were a whirlwind of bad decisions and he was nicknamed the traveling mailman.
Derrick Worked In His University For Almost A Decade After His Graduation
Engram started working as an Assistant Director of Minority Recruiting at Life University just after he graduated from there. He worked there for nine years before resigning for better opportunities in Mar 2003. He then joined Pro Build South as a Shipping Manager where he worked for five years until Feb 2012.
He is currently the Vice President of Business Development and Principal Consultant of The Leeward Team. He also works as an Organizational Change Management Consultant at Dekalb County Recorder Court. Besides working in two places, Derrick has opened his own company, Lyfe Solution Group where he is a Credit Specialist.
Derrick Engram Was Married To Michelle Zelina in the early ’90s
Derrick married Michelle Zelina on January 22, 1994, just after college. The couple later settled in Powder Springs, Georgia, and became parents of two kids. However, after a few years of togetherness, the two started having trouble in married life and decided to separate.
The former couple got a divorce when their son, Evan was five. Even though they had differences, they settled for co-parenting.
Both Of His Children Are Athletics
Derrick and his ex-wife, Michelle have a son, Evan Engram, and a daughter, Mackenzie Engram. They became parents for the first time on September 2, 1994, when their firstborn, Evan, was born. Like his father, Evan also started playing football in high school. He then played for the University of Mississippi until 2016. After that, he was drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants. The young player is currently a tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As for their daughter, Mackenzie was born on November 29, 1995. Following in the footsteps of her dad and brother, she also developed an interest in sports in her early days. She was an honorable basketball player at her high school, Hillgrove High School. She is currently working as a Marketing Coordinator at Rubicon Talent.
Derrick Is Proud Of His Kids Living Their Dreams
Engram is excited to see his kids getting all this attention from the public. Being a former athlete himself, he gets chills from the crowd cheers especially if it’s for his kids. However, the dad had a hard time adjusting to a new chapter where he wasn’t heavily involved in his children’s lives.
But, now, he is too proud of his kids’ accomplishments. He once said, ” I’m a proud, humble dad excited as heck for my kids, I am burning up inside to see the success they are having.”
Where Is Derrick Engram Now?
The 56-year-old now lives in Rockledge, Florida. Born in September 1968, Derrick has traveled a lot in his years be it for college or for supporting his children at games. He is currently enjoying his single life. He is active on Facebook where he has shared pictures of his kids.
