UPDATED January 16, 2023
Derrick Alexander was named wide receivers coach at Wayne State University in May of 2022.
In his lone season with the Warriors (2022), he mentored two freshman receivers (Dion Brown, Jr. and A.J. Nichols) who combined for 40 receptions for 537 yards and one touchdown. In addition, two of his student-athletes garnered Academic All-GLIAC honors, including one on the Excellence Team (cumulative GPA 3.5+).
Alexander attended Detroit Benedictine High School, where he competed in football, basketball, track, and baseball.  As a senior, he rushed for 877 yards (13.9 yards per carry) and had over 1,000 receiving yards on 40 receptions. After his senior season, he was selected to the Detroit Free Press All-State First Team. Alexander played college football at the University of Michigan from 1989 to 1993 and was a two-time (1992 and 1993) Associated Press All-Big Ten First Team receiver.Â
As a true freshman for the Wolverines in 1989, he caught six passes for 107 yards and one touchdown. The following season, Alexander hauled in 31 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned 13 kickoffs for an average of 27.8 yards per return. After missing almost the entire 1991 season with an injury, Alexander totaled 50 receptions for 740 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1992, while rushing for 60 yards and a score. He averaged 14.3 yards on 26 punt returns, while contributing two touchdowns.  As a redshirt senior in 1993, he made 35 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns and returned 16 punts for an average of 10.2 yards and two touchdowns.  His 90-yard touchdown reception from Todd Collins vs. Illinois stood as the longest completion in Michigan football history until 2007.
Alexander concluded his Michigan career having appeared in 44 games with 125 receptions for 1,977 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged of 15.8 yards per reception and 12.7 yards on 42 punt returns with four going for a touchdown.
He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round (29th overall pick) of the 1994 NFL Draft and played nine seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns (1994-1995), Baltimore Ravens (1996-1997), Kansas City Chiefs (1998-2001), and Minnesota Vikings (2002).  As a rookie, he led the Browns with 48 receptions for 828 yards and earned a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team after helping the Browns to an 11-5 record.  In 1995, he had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in a nationally-broadcast Monday night game.
Alexander tallied 62 receptions for 1,099 yards in 1996 and was selected AFC Offensive Player of the Week after catching seven pass for 198 yards against Pittsburgh. He had his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 1997. Alexander also had the longest reception in the NFL that year -- a 92-yard touchdown catch against the Seattle Seahawks on December 7.  During the 1998 season, Alexander led the Chiefs with 992 receiving yards and averaged 18.4 yards per reception.  In 1999, he started 15 games for the Chiefs and caught 54 passes for 832 yards.  Alexander had the best season of his career in 2000 as he caught 74 passes for 1,391 yards, an average of 17.8 yards per game, while starting all 16 games. His 1,391 receiving yards set a Chiefs single-season record that stood until 2018.
Alexander was selected as the Kansas City Chiefs' Derrick Thomas Most Valuable Player Award recipient in 2000, and was also nominated for the Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year Award that same season.
He ended his NFL career having appeared in 126 games (102 starts) with 417 receptions for 6,971 yards and 40 touchdowns. He rushed for 210 rushing yards and one touchdown, while accumulating over 600 yards on returns (432 on kickoff, and 171 and a touchdown on punt).
After his playing career, Alexander worked from 2006 to 2011 as an information technology systems analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He next worked as a systems engineer for Cerner Corporation from 2011 to 2015.  In 2015, he coached wide receivers at Wilmington College in Ohio. He later served three seasons (2016-18) as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Avila University in Kansas City.
Alexander participated three consecutive summers in the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship working with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, New York Jets in 2018, and the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. He also coached the wide receivers at the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl All-Star game
Prior to returning home to Detroit, Alexander spent three years (2019-21) at Morgan State as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach.  He coached Third Team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) wide receiver Manasseh Bailey in 2019.  Bailey ranked third in the MEAC in receiving yards (996), which is the second-highest total in MSU history. Bailey also ranked among the league leaders in touchdown receptions (third with 10), receptions (fourth with 54), total touchdowns (sixth with 11) and scoring (eighth with 68 points).
He and his wife, Kim, are the parents of three children, Alexis, Kenzie, and Brooke.
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