Background

After he barely missed making the 2000 Olympic team, Derrick almost quit the sport. He persevered, however, and changed his mental approach. In 2000, "I was really gung ho, feeling invincible,” he explained going into the 2004 Trials. “This time, I’m feeling realistic, taking it day by day and staying in my own mental state, and then giving ‘em hell when I get there.” It worked: Derrick finished third and made the team for Athens. “For 2 ½ weeks, you live a dream,” he says of his experience there.

In September 2007, Derrick was named a full-time assistant coach at the University of Missouri, working with the team's sprinters. He is married to the former Liz Young. Their daughter was born on March 18, 2007, and is named Athena to honor dad’s Olympic experience. Derrick also has a stepson, Isaac.