The start to the biggest play of Derrick Dillon's career was somewhat innocuous. The Memphis Showboats receiver lined himself up in the back of the end zone in his team's Week 6 clash with the Pittsburgh Maulers in the hopes that he might have a chance to return Chris Blewitt's end-of-half field goal attempt.
The try came from 58 yards, so there was no guarantee the kicker would make it. And as the ball was in the air, it was clear that it was going to go wide right and fall short, though many still believed it would land out of bounds.
However, Dillon was able to reach up for the ball, grab it and impressively keep both of his feet inbounds. That gave him a chance to try the longshot return.
He succeeded in bringing it all the way back for a 109-yard touchdown, tied for the longest in the history of professional football.
OMG!!! A 109-YARD TOUCHDOWN FOR @DerrickDillon4 💨
— Memphis Showboats (@USFLShowboats) May 20, 2023
🎥: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/O0TulvbYSW
Dillon's process on the return was simple. He said he just ran toward his teammates who were blocking in front of him. Once he had a lane, he was able to rely on his speed to do the rest.
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Dillon always knew he was capable of making those plays. After all, he had been a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback in high school and generated a 98-yard touchdown run on an option play during his younger years.
"It was really nothing new for me," he told The Sporting News in a phone interview. "I just finally had a chance to be back there and show I can still make those type of plays."
But Dillon wasn't the only one who knew he had that type of explosive ability in him. His teammates from his days at LSU also believed in him and let him know it after his highlight-reel return.
D.J. Chark reached out to Dillon and joked that he "finally showed the speed off" during the play.
Russell Gage also called Dillon to congratulate him. He was a bit more animated than Chark.
"He was just yelling the whole time on the phone," Dillon said of Gage, while noting the Buccaneers pass catcher was "happy" for him.
Dillon receiving messages from his college teammates is nothing new. He remains close with many of his former teammates, especially the receivers with which he played during his five seasons at LSU.
And that unique bond has helped Dillon in his quest to play professional football.
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Dillon worked with a lot of NFL-level receivers during his time at LSU, which ranged from 2016 to 2019. That included Chark and Gage and, more recently, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, among others.
The collective talent of the LSU receivers created a sort of think tank that Dillon credits with benefitting the group as a whole. It began when they worked together at practice and has lasted to this day.
"We just steal stuff from each other's game and try to implement it into our games," he said. "So I do it all the time watching them play, and I just try to do some of the things they do."
It isn't just those that he played with that helped Dillon's game grow. He also mentioned some of the team's notable alumni — like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry — helped the receivers hone their skills as well.
"Every time they come back, they always give us little nitpicks on what we can do to help our game and stuff like that," Dillon said. "They just give us the little details we can use to make us better players."
The advice Dillon has received from his peers has been instrumental in helping to succeed in pro football. It has allowed him to improve his game while learning from — and talking to — some of the best receivers in the game.
But the relationships forged by the Tigers go well beyond their talents on the field. They still talk and interact on social media today, with Dillon liking to leave jokes in the comments section of his former teammates' posts.
And when the receivers were in school together, they frequently hung out outside of practice, whether it was eating together or going bowling. That helped them develop the great chemistry that fuels their friendships to this day.
That chemistry also fueled LSU's run to a national title during Dillon's senior season.
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Derrick Dillon on LSU's national championship team, Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase
Dillon fondly remembers that national championship team. In fact, he said that he enjoyed "every bit" of the 15-0 season in 2019.
"Our team, we had a great bond," Dillon said. "Everybody bonded with everybody."
The bond didn't prevent the players from competing with one another for playing time, however. They still all worked hard to earn their roles on the championship-winning team.
Given the depth that the Tigers had, that meant some talented players were forced into smaller roles than they might be on some other teams. That included Dillon, who posted 15 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns as a top backup for the squad.
But only one thing mattered to those players: the successes of the team as a whole.
"At the end of the day, it was still all love and everything off the field," Dillon explained. "It was amazing just to be around that type of environment."
Part of the reason that the LSU players bought into that message was the leadership of Joe Burrow. The Ohio State transfer had emerged as the team's starting quarterback the previous season and immediately rubbed off on his teammates.
"When he first came in, he always took control of the team and made sure everybody knew every play and everything else," Dillon explained. "He just took it to another level our last year [at LSU] to make sure the timing [of the receivers' routes] was perfect."
The results were the most prolific offense in FBS history, which saw Burrow throw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Naturally, Dillon and his fellow wideouts enjoyed catching passes from Burrow as the quarterback cemented himself as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"It was great," Dillon said of working with Burrow. "He led the team in every situation, every way. He just put us in a position to make plays and everything."
But Dillon also had the pleasure of working alongside future first-round picks Jefferson and Chase during that final season. And just like with Burrow, he knew that he was witnessing greatness when watching the duo play.
From the first day they got there until they left, you always saw how great they could be. They were always special players at running routes and getting off the releases, getting off the jams and everything. It was that from the beginning. So, they just kept on going with it all the way to the NFL.
Indeed, the top receivers have found plenty of NFL success. Jefferson is fresh off a season that saw him produce 1,809 yards, eight touchdowns and win the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. Meanwhile, Chase won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, one year after Jefferson achieved the feat, and had 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing five games in his second season.
In the wake of his USFL triumphs, Dillon is hoping that he will get a chance to join his former teammates on that stage in short order.
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Derrick Dillon's hopes for an NFL future
Dillon has had a couple of NFL stints before. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Giants and fought for a roster spot with the Browns in 2022.
Thus far, he hasn't stuck around long. However, he is hopeful that he can earn a role at the highest level of the sport in 2023, much like KaVontae Turpin did with the Cowboys during the 2022 offseason.
"I love the journey he had to get back in the league and make an impact with his team," Dillon said of Turpin when asked about the Cowboys' All-Pro return man. "I'd love to have the same journey."
But while the NFL may be in the back of Dillon's mind, he is staying focused. Showing out during the Showboats' playoff push remains his primary goal.
"I just want to be one of the top receivers in the league, and one of the top returners in the league also," he said.
So far, so good. Dillon followed up his kick-six in Week 6 with a game-winning 64-yard touchdown against the Houston Gamblers in Week 7. He showed off his run-after-the-catch and tackle-breaking abilities during that play.
64 YARD TOUCHDOWN FOR THE LEAD!!!! @DerrickDillon4 😤 pic.twitter.com/hBJ8Dd6wVo
— Memphis Showboats (@USFLShowboats) May 28, 2023
So, if Dillon continues to show off his blazing speed and ability to make plays in space, he should get a chance to see if his third NFL stint will be the one that allows him to stick around.
And as he pushes to fulfill his goal, there's little doubt that he will be well-supported by his former LSU teammates.