Before the Cincinnati Bengals took on the Arizona Cardinals, there was no thought of Emari Demercado becoming a touchdown threat against the team that’s gone to two straight AFC title games.
But on Sunday during Week 5, Demercado became the talk of the desert with a surprise performance.
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‘Remember the Name,’ Says One Analyst Regarding Emari Demercado
The undrafted rookie out of Texas Christian University (TCU) got the call to carry the ball when James Conner went down.
And right away, he got RotoBaller analyst Adam Koffler to boldly say to “remember the name.”
Emari Demercado, remember the namepic.twitter.com/Ra2kRbNbXN
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) October 8, 2023
Ironically, he scored his first NFL touchdown at the same venue where he scored his last college touchdown — the College Football Playoff contest between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Michigan Wolverines. He was held out of the end zone against Georgia with the national title on the line.
That was the first NFL touchdown for Emari Demercado … but not his first at State Farm Stadium.
In fact the last TD he scored was here; it was on a one-yard run in TCU’s CFP semifinal victory over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on 12/31/22. pic.twitter.com/kJxePp1puL
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) October 8, 2023
Demercado became the newest “no-name” player to get fans raving about him online. However, one account pointed out that Demercado has performed at a high level when wearing an all-black uniform before.
To be fair, Emari Demercado is no stranger to balling out in all black. pic.twitter.com/zyPmfTZJTv
— NFL Fashion Advice (@fashion_nfl) October 8, 2023
Journey of the Horned Frog RB Includes Going Junior College Route
While he helped star in the backfield for a TCU team that featured third-round draft pick Kendre Miller, Demercado wasn’t considered a highly coveted recruit for the Horned Frogs.
MORE: Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart
His journey didn’t even begin in Fort Worth at the collegiate level.
Fresh off completing his high school career at Downey High in the Los Angeles region, Demercado heard little from college recruiters and was unranked as a prospect. He went the junior college football route and began at Saddleback Community College in southern California.
Turns out, all he needed was one year at the Mission Viejo, Calif., college. He rushed for 1,026 yards and scored 15 touchdowns, adding 54 catches for 443 yards and two more touchdowns. He established himself as the nation’s No. 7 ranked JUCO RB by 247Sports.
He went on to commit to TCU but witnessed a brief coaching change from Gary Patterson to Sonny Dykes. However, he stuck it out in Fort Worth by playing five seasons there.
Now, his journey has taken him into the desert and the hearts of Cardinal fans following his first career touchdown.
