Twitter: only1dgrace | @calfootball
Instagram: 1drace5 | cal_football
Pronunciation
DAY-zhon
Grace has played in eight games all off the bench during the last two seasons of his three campaigns at Cal as a 2015 sophomore and 2016 junior after redshirting in 2014. He recorded all nine of his tackles in his junior campaign after making his Cal debut as a sophomore by playing in four games off the bench. Grace redshirted and sat out his first season at Cal in 2014 due to NCAA transfer rules after transferring from Willamette. Grace began his Cal career as a wide receiver before moving to defensive back where he has worked out with the cornerback, nickel back and his current safety position. He was productive as a wide receiver as a true freshman in 2013 at Willamette, catching 42 passes for 566 yards and four touchdowns.
Cal Career (2014 – Present)
• Has played in eight games all off the bench during the last two seasons of his three campaigns at Cal as a 2015 sophomore and 2016 junior after redshirting in 2014
• Recorded all nine of his tackles in his junior campaign
• Made his Cal debut in the season-opener of his sophomore campaign against Grambling State
• Has worked out with cornerbacks, nickel backs and his current position safeties through his collegiate career after being recruited to Cal as a wide receiver
• Transferred to Cal from Willamette and sat out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules
• Began his career at Cal wearing No. 15 but changed to his current No. 34 during his first training camp in 2014
Grace's Career Game Highs
Tackles: 3 (three times, last vs. UCLA, 2016)
Senior (2017)
• Listed in the No. 4 spot at one safety position on the preseason depth chart
• Did not play in the spring game
Junior (2016)
• Played in the final four contests of the season all off the bench primarily on special teams and as a backup in the defensive backfield mostly at nickel back
• Contributed nine tackles
• Recorded a career-high-tying three tackles in back-to-back games against Washington and at Washington, before adding three more in the season finale vs. UCLA
• Took 54 special teams snaps including double digits in each of the last three contests
• Had a team-high-tying four tackles for the winning Blue squad in the spring game
Sophomore (2015)
• Played in four games off the bench as a backup cornerback and on special teams in his second season at Cal with no statistics other than participation
• Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener vs. Grambling State and also played in the second contest of the season vs. San Diego State as well as the team's final two regular-season games vs. Arizona State and at Stanford
Sophomore (2014)
• Redshirted
• Did not play
• Worked out with both the wide receiver and cornerback groups but moved full-time to cornerback after suffering an injury to his hand during training camp
Willamette (2013)
• Started all nine games and contributed 42 receptions for 546 yards receiving and four touchdown catches while adding two kick returns for 41 yards and two rushes for a loss of three yards for a total of 584 all-purpose yards for a team that finished 7-2 during his true freshman season in 2013
• Recorded career-highs of 13 receptions and 205 yards receiving while adding one touchdown in the first game of his collegiate career vs. Hardin-Simmons, adding a 66-yard scoring catch that is the longest of his collegiate career
• Had nine catches for 104 yards receiving including a 55-yarder vs. Pacific Lutheran
• Picked up a career-high two touchdown receptions among his four catches for 19 yards receiving at Lewis & Clark
• Also registered receiving stats vs. Whitworth (6-85-TD), vs. Sewanee (3-54), vs. Pacific, Ore. (3-30), vs. Linfield (2-18), at East Texas Baptist (1-19) and at Puget Sound (1-12) as he caught at least one pass in all nine of the team’s contests
• Added one kick return for 28 yards vs. Sewanne, one kick return for 13 yards and one rush for a loss of three yards at East Texas Baptist, and one rush for no gain vs. Pacific, Ore.
Bishop O’Dowd HS (Class of 2013)
• Registered 25 receptions for 253 yards receiving including a career-long 55-yard grab and rushed one time for four yards on offense for a total of 257 all-purpose yards, while adding 12 tackles on defense for a team that finished 7-5 overall during his 2012 senior season when his squad reached the second round of the North Coast Section Division III playoffs for the second consecutive campaign
• Contributed 37 receptions and 573 yards receiving with seven touchdown catches and three rushes for 21 yards for a total of 594 all-purpose yards on offense, while adding four tackles on defense for his 2011 junior squad that reached the second round of the North Coast Section Division III playoffs, posted a 9-3 overall mark and a 7-0 Hayward Area Athletic League record that produced a conference title
• Teammates for both of his two varsity campaigns with former Cal linebacker Hardy Nickerson, while head coach was Hardy Nickerson Sr., a 16-year player in the NFL who earned four All-Pro and five Pro Bowl selections, is a member of the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame, still currently ranks second on the school’s all-time list for tackles, and currently is in his first season as the defensive coordinator at Illinois in 2016
Other
• Full name is De’Zhon Deandre Carey Grace
• Born December 31, 1994
• Son of Jack Williams and Chaka Grace
• Major is sociology
Last Updated
June 21, 2017
