From Texas to Toronto, former defensive end at LBCC and current assistant head coach for the Toronto Argonauts, Demetrious Maxie has always had a love for football.
Demetrious is a Grey Cup winner as a coach for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League and credits LBCC with being the stepping stone that got his professional career started, as well as assisting him academically.
Demetrious’s mother, who was in the medical field, pushed him to follow in her path, which meant education was vital for him at LBCC.
“Education was first, and I rebelled against that for a bit, but coming here really made me open my eyes and realize that I need to do more in order to get as far as I possibly can go,” Demetrious said.
Following his time at Long Beach City College, Demetrious played at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he excelled as a key standout on the defense.
Despite having conversations with NFL teams coming out of college, he was never signed to a team, but this was not the end for Demetrious, rather just a new opportunity.
“When my NFL opportunities fell through, Canada was there to say, ‘ Hey, it’s not over, we can give you an opportunity here,’ so I went there and had a grand old time and made it into my home,” Demetrious said.
Demetrious went on to play 13 seasons in the CFL, winning three Grey Cups as a player and earning an All-Star spot in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Following his playing career, Demetrious still felt as if he had more to give to the game.
“After playing, I went back to UTEP and I became the assistant defensive line coach, and then I realized that I needed to get back into professional sports,” Demetrious said.
When he made his return to coaching, Demetrious made sure to set high standards for himself to ensure he could be the best coach possible.
“I always told myself that if I decide to coach after I’m done playing, I’m gonna be better than the coaches I have,” Demetrious said.
He would return to the CFL and begin his coaching career in 2016, where he would rise up the ranks from defensive line coach to assistant head coach for the Toronto Argonauts.
Leadership was something that Demetrious had always seen in himself, even back when he was a player for the Argonauts.
“Because of the strong mindset that I had that wanted to have more and the skill set of the people around me, they pushed me to be a leader,” Demetrious said. “I thought I was an ok football player, but they thought I was a great football player, and I embraced that.”
Demetrious’s wife, Maria Maxie, who has been with him through his entire coaching tenure, noted some of the qualities that Demetrious has that make coaching come naturally to him.
“He is very passionate and he loves what he does. When you are involved in something you enjoy, it does not feel like work,” Maria said.
A close friend of Demetrious’s, Nikia Young, also explained the qualities in him that allow him to connect so well with players.
“He encourages all of the people around him to be better, no matter what,” Young said.
While Demetrious has risen to incredible heights in the CFL, he still has his sights even higher for the future.
“I’m thriving for more and I want to be a head coach soon. I believe I deserve it because of the hard work, what I believe in and the good people in my corner,” Demetrious said.
The Toronto Argonauts will be playing their first game on June 4, which will be Demetrious’s first game as an assistant head coach.
You must be logged in to post a comment.