'Coming home was like breathing:' Brothers return to Athens alma mater as coaches, teachers
Life has come full circle for DeDe and Stanley Lattimore.
Born and raised in Athens, the brothers have returned to a place essential to them: Cedar Shoals High School.
"You know, it is exactly what I pictured for myself," Stanley said. "I actually got asked that a few weeks ago by a former friend, and they said to me, 'Man it's crazy, you did the exact same thing you said you were going to do in high school.' What I told my friends in high school is, 'I want to be a teacher and a coach at Cedar,' and I'm getting to live out my dream every day."
Stanley graduated from Cedar Shoals in 2008, before wrestling collegiately at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, where he became a Junior College All-American and placed fifth in the nation in the 2010 heavyweight class. He continued his career at Oklahoma City University, where he graduated in 2012.
He returned to the Classic City and began coaching in 2014 at Clarke Central.
DeDe graduated from Cedar Shoals and played collegiate football for South Florida from 2009-2013. The middle linebacker was named the Bulls' Team MVP as team captain and led the team with a career-best 98 tackles in his senior season. He went on to play in the NFL, going undrafted in 2014 before signing with the Chicago Bears.
He followed his brother back to Athens shortly after he retired due to injury and started the next phase of his life, something he'd always dreamed of: Giving back to his community.
"When I came back, Cedar Shoals was the right place for me at the right time," DeDe said. "It was really all (Stanley), like where he went, he wanted me to come, and I wanted to follow big brother."
The brothers coached together at Oglethorpe County from 2018-2020. Stanley was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots for four years before he made his move to Cedar Shoals. DeDe took time off before joining Cedar Shoals in 2022 as linebackers coach.
Now, not only do the brothers coach for their alma mater, they're also teachers. DeDe teaches ninth grade algebra, and Stanley teaches history and English.
"I always wanted to coach at Cedar Shoals, and I always wanted to see this program be the best it can be," Stanley said. "Part of my reason for coming back home was just to help where I could help out. ... For me, coming home was like breathing for me. It was a simple yes. Coming back to Cedar, it being my alma mater, and coaching, and then to teach the kids and coach the kids of my former friends or former adults and mentors that helped me, to be able to teach (their relatives), ... it's a full 360 event for me. I love it from all angles."
DeDe added: "It's different from when we were here, but we're trying to improve (everyday)."
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Why these brothers returned to coach and teach at Cedar Shoals
