Family sendoff video for Derek

Who is Derek Kief? from Lance Hart on Vimeo.

This is a short film I created with the help of friends and family to say goodbye and show our love and support for Derek. The family gathered privately with Derek on Thursday, May 22nd and watched it together prior to him leaving for Tuscaloosa (today) Sunday, May 25th.

Good luck kid. Work hard.

-Lance

A Tribute to Derek Kief's FAM!

Adrick Ceaser (Derek's dad) was a WR at Furman and Pat Kief (Derek's granddad) was a OG at Miami (OH)

Click image for full resolution image.

Recapping Derek Kief's National Signing Day

Senior picture of Derek Kief taken in 2013 with photo edit, "SOON TO BE BUILT BY BAMA"

Derek Kief signs and faxes his letter of intent from his house due to a snow day at La Salle

Pics: Derek Kief's Official Visit to #Alabama (Coach Cochran, Coach Napier, Coach Kiffin, Elam, Clark, Williams & more)

2014 WR & Alabama commit, Derek Kief in the WR Room during his official visit

Derek Kief's Career Highlights

Pics: Derek Kief's Visit #Alabama vs LSU (Cornwell, Sims, Robinson, Pierschbacher, Mosley, Elam & more)

2014 WR Derek Kief's little sister Zoey at the 2013 Bama vs. LSU game

The @WLSNRADIO media guide details Derek Kief's "historic career" as they call it

Some random images of 2014 WR Derek Kief's career at La Salle High School

Below was published in WLSN's 2013 Media Guide for game 10...

"Derek Kief will complete his career as arguably one of the best receivers in the history of La Salle football. As a senior, heading in to his final regular season game, Derek already tops La Salle’s charts for most career receptions (152), most career receiving yards (2015), most career receiving touchdowns (22), most single-season receptions (65) and is tied for most single-game receptions (12). He has also surpassed all other receivers in the history of the GCL South for most career receptions and is only 136 receiving yards away from surpassing all other GCL South receivers for most career receiving yards. In addition to the success he has had on the field, Derek has made 1st and/or 2nd honors every year since he has attended La Salle and maintains a high GPA. Next year, Derek will go from rolling deep as a Lancer, to rolling with the tide! LANCERS ROLL (TIDE) DEEP!"

Keep working kid.

Derek Kief's 2013 Mid-Season Highlights #RollTide #Bama

2014 WR & Alabama Commit Derek Kief Selected as LaRosa's MVP

2014 WR Derek Kief LaRosa's MVP (image source: www.larosasmvp.com)

Derek was selected as the LaRosa's MVP of the week. For more information, visit http://www.larosasmvp.com/mvps/index.htm

You can also download and print the the MVP Highlight that the LaRosa's team put together here.

Congrats Derek!

Derek Kief (Alabama commit) & Tyrell Gilbert (Cincinnati commit) Battle Week 3! #RollTide #BearcatNation

2014 WR Derek Kief (Alabama commit) & 2014 ATH Tyrell Gilbert (UC commit) go head to head week 3

Derek and Tyrell are like family. They first met on a basketball court as rivals playing AAU basketball way back when. To make a very long story short, Derek hit a buzzer beater to knock Tyrell's team out of a regional AAU tournament in Maysville, KY. It was a tough loss for Tyrell, but in life, there are ALWAYS silver linings. It wasn't long after that tournament that Tyrell was playing on Derek's AAU team and they have been brothers ever since.

Click the pic for a full resolution version. Give it a second, it is a big file.

For my personal history with Tyrell Gilbert, click here. I wrote that after he received his first D1 offer last March. -Lance

2014 WR's Kief & Fuller: History of the Twin Towers & Feeling Fuller #LRD

The Twin Towers: La Salle Lancers, WR Derek Kief & WR Izaiah Fuller

Six football seasons ago (yea, around here, everything is about football), 2014 WR and Alabama commit Derek Kief and 2014 WR and college prospect Izaiah Fuller played together at La Salle's Lancer Stadium for the very first time. Actually, let's rewind, I am getting a little ahead of myself.

7on7: Nationally Ranked No 25 Colerain vs La Salle #LRD #REDSTORM

On July 10th, 2013, the GMC Colerain Cardinals football team were ranked No. 25 nationally by the USA Today Super 25 preseason high school football rankings. On July 21st, the GCL South La Salle Lancers with their Red Storm proved that they will be hard for ANY team to handle in the backfield, let alone the #25 ranked Cardinals.

Derek Kief & Morgan Willcox: At the Helm of the Storm #LRD #THESTORM

La Salle Lancers, Derek Kief & Morgan Willcox: At the Helm of the Storm

Derek Kief and Morgan Willcox have been sharing the field for almost as long as they have been pulling shoulder pads over their heads. Now seniors at La Salle high school, this double barrel will slug the field together for one final season. Right now, I'm calling out the entire Lancer Nation. You better get fired up, and you best be rollin' deep! Their final charge is a-comin', and they're bringin' a hellish storm of Lancers with 'em!

PICS: WR Derek Kief's Family #Bama Commitment Gathering #ROLLTIDE

2014 WR Derek Kief after committing to Alabama

Special thanks to Derek's Aunt (and my wife), Monica Hart for capturing some great photos at yesterday's family commitment gathering.

2014 WR Derek Kief Commits

2014 WR Derek Kief Will Commit from His Twitter @DKief10, Sunday Between 5:30-6PM

Derek will be ending the recruiting process and tweeting his college commitment from @DKief10, his personal Twitter account, this Sunday (June 16th, 2013), between 5:30-6PM.

Congrats Derek, everyone is looking forward to the announcement!

Pics: WR Derek Kief's #Alabama Visit (Coach Saban, AJ, Norwood, Kelly & more)

2014 WR Derek Kief pondering the possibility of Alabama

Family Matters

Left to right: Lance Hart (uncle), Derek Kief, Coach Nick Saban, Kelly Ceasar (mom),
Zoey Ceasar (sister), Adrick Ceasar (dad), Pat Kief (grandpa), Chris Kief (grandma)

Inside Scoop on WR Derek Kief: The Method Behind the Madness of "Speed Does Kill"

The song "Speed Does Kill" wasn't just created to make Derek's highlights unique, it was a method of motivation for Derek going in to the off-season prior to his Senior year.  You have to understand, for many years, Derek was playing sports all year round.

He was stuck in a never-ending loop, relying mostly on his freakish size coupled with his god-given talents to get him by.  While Derek loved basketball (I coached him and various school and AAU teams for many years), he decided not to play his Junior year to focus all of his efforts on football.

Details: 2014 WR Derek Kief's Upcoming Unofficial Overnight to #Alabama #RollTide

#10 Derek Kief from La Salle High School in Cincinnati Ohio leaves on Saturday for Tuscaloosa, AL with an entourage of family members.  Derek along with 6 family members (including myself) will spend the entire visit from June 8th to June 11th in Tuscaloosa.  We will have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the city, the academic programs, the athletic facilities and The Process.

While the family will be staying in a nearby hotel, Derek will be spending as much time on campus and overnight with the players.

Roll Tide.

2014 JJHuddle Top 100 Ranks WR Derek Kief #1 Football Prospect in Ohio!

2014 WR Derek Kief #1 Ranked by JJHuddle

Congrats Derek for being named the #1 football prospect in Ohio!

The staff at JJHuddle.com, Bucknuts.com and ScoutingOhio.com collaborated to select the Top 100 football prospects for the class of 2014.  JJHuddle.com and ScoutingOhio.com focus 100% of their efforts on Ohio athletes and Bucknuts.com is the Ohio State Football & Recruiting source for 247sports.com.

Below are the first 25 of the Top 100.  To see the entire Top 100 which includes verbal commitments, offers and stats...CLICK HERE.

1	Derek Kief	WR	La Salle
2	Marshon Lattimore	WR	Glenville
3	Parris Campbell	RB	St. Vincent-St.Mary
4	Kyle Trout	OT	Lancaster
5	Dante Booker Jr.	LB	Akron SVSM
6	Jimmy Byrne	OL	St Ignatius
7	Marcelys Jones	OL	Glenville
8	DeShone Kizer	QB	Toledo Central Catholic
9	Kyle Berger	LB	St Ignatius
10	Michael Ferns	LB	St Clairsville
11	Vayante Copeland	RB	Thurgood Marshall
12	Joe Henderson	DE	Shaker Heights
13	Chris Durkin	QB	Youngstown Ursuline
14	Daniel Cage	DL	Winton Woods
15	Mikel Horton	RB	Lakota West
16	Sam Hubbard	LB	Moeller
17	Ethan Wolf	TE	Minster
18	Nick Richardson	OL	Westerville Central
19	Mike Edwards	DB	Winton Woods
20	Erick Smith	DB	Glenville
21	Darryl Long	TE	Westerville South
22	Alex Dalton	OL	Troy
23	Robert Bowers	DE	Walnut Ridge
24	Noah Furbush	DE	Kenton
25	Thaddeus Snodgrass	WR	Springfield