DICKINSON, N.D. – As a little boy Derick VandeBossche couldn’t wait to play Tiger football with his older brother Matthew for their father, head coach Matt.

The brothers played in two state championship games together for Lusk, during a stretch in which Niobrara County High School made four trips to Laramie in five years.

Derick’s decorated high school career included three All-State awards, 2013 1A East Defensive Player of the Year, 2014 1A East Offensive Player of the Year, 2014 Casper Star Tribune Super 25 and Shrine Bowl participant.

He followed Matthew to Dickinson State University and became a Blue Hawk. When he signed his letter of intent he mentioned that he just wanted to play football with his brother some more.

After a redshirt season, in any attempt to get on the field he became the team’s deep snapper. That lasted just one year as he joined Matthew in the defensive secondary for the perennial contenders in 2017 and 2018.

VandeBossche was named to the North Star Athletic Association first team defense twice, voted team captain and winner of the Travis Lunda Blue Hawk Award. This recognizes a senior that exemplifies what Blue Hawk Football is all about.

Derick put together a stellar senior season as DSU won the NSAA championship for the fifth straight season.

He was recognized as a first team NAIA All-American and Cliff Harris Award nominee for 2019. The team finished 17th in the final rankings after a playoff loss to Morningside, Iowa.

He graduated in December with a degree in exercise science and is planning to attend graduate school in the fall.