Friday Night Lattimores
Born and raised in Athens Georgia, close-knit brothers DeDe and Stanley Lattimore have finally settled back in their hometown. The Cedar Shoals alumni traveled different paths after graduating, but eventually made their way back to the Jaguar family as both teachers and coaches.
Only born 11 months apart, DeDe and Stanley have an extremely strong relationship.
“It was always big brother, little brother,” DeDe said. “Everything that he did, I wanted to do.”
In high school, the Lattimores played a key role for a dominant Cedar Shoals defense. Playing both sides of the ball, DeDe led the Jaguars to a 9-2 season in 2007 with 631 rushing yards on offense and 12 sacks on defense as a junior.
However, his best season came during his senior year in 2008. The Jaguars held their opponents to an average of 10 points per game during the 7-5 campaign, including three shutouts against Monroe Area, Rockdale County, and Heritage.
“Our defense was extremely aggressive,” Stanley said. “We blitzed a lot, and we played man coverage a lot more than we do now.”
DeDe continued collegiately, playing at the University of South Florida. After redshirting in 2009, Dede quickly made a name for himself, leading the team in tackles during the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl, where the Bulls beat the Clemson Tigers and DeDe was named a freshman All-American.
In 2011 he made second team all-Big East, and recorded an interception against 16th ranked Notre Dame in a 23-20 upset victory. His performances led to him being placed on the 2012 Vince Lombardi and 2013 Dick Butkus Award watchlists.
A team captain in 2013, Dede finished his collegiate career, ranking eighth in career sacks and third in career tackles and forced fumbles for South Florida. Lattimore made both Big East and AAC all-conference team appearances before graduating with a degree in criminology. Soon after, he signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
“When I got to the facilities, I was shown a million dollars in cash,” DeDe said. “I was told that the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long,’ and to enjoy it while I can.”
After spending the first month of the 2014 season on the Bears practice squad, DeDe made his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons. He recorded a tackle in a 27-13 win.
After finishing out the season, DeDe was waived by the Bears. The Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League picked him up in Feb. 2016, but he was cut two months later.
Returning to Georgia, DeDe then coached at Oglethorpe County High School for three years before returning to Cedar in 2022, becoming an algebra teacher, and joining his brother, who teaches history and English.
“It’s home,” DeDe said. “I want to help the community, the kids and the program.”
Unlike his brother, Stanley took a different path after high school, continuing his wrestling career, at Ellsworth Community College and Oklahoma City University. He finished fifth in the 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championship for his weight class.
“Success in wrestling all depends on how much you want to win,” Stanley said. “You can’t rely solely on your teammates. You just have to put on your headgear, go out there, and try to be the best you can.”
After graduating in secondary education and social sciences, Stanley returned to Athens in 2014, joining Clarke Central’s wrestling staff. After a brief stint in Oglethorpe County, Stanley returned to Cedar Shoals as the varsity football team’s defensive coordinator.
“I could have stayed in Oklahoma or Iowa, but Athens has always been my home,” Stanley said.
In Stanley’s first season as defensive coordinator, Cedar Shoals went 5-5, making the first round of the playoffs. The Jags held Cherokee Bluff to 19 points and North Hall to 14 points.
The defense has been even stronger in 2023, only allowing six points against Walnut Grove and seven points against East Hall. The defense has recorded several important plays this season, including a fumble recovery for a touchdown that turned out to be the final blow in an upset win over Madison County.
“We like to run a multiple defense,” Stanley said. “Sometimes we run three up front, sometimes we run four up front.”
“I always have people telling me ‘dude you’re on the same coaching staff as your brother,’ and I’m like ‘oh yeah, I am’,” Stanley said.
