Deuce McAllister was a standout athlete at Morton High School, lettering in track, basketball and football. He not only focused on sports while attending Morton, but also academics. Deuce was an honor roll student from K-12th grade. He graduated fifth in his class and served as student body president his senior year. He has said that his fondest memory from high school was being able to sing with his high school show choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
After high school, Deuce attended the University of Mississippi. He had a record-breaking career for the Rebels. McAllister is the only player in school history to record three seasons with at least 1,000 all-purpose yards. In 1999, Deuce won the Conerly Trophy, which is awarded to the top collegiate football player in Mississippi. He finished his college career at Ole Miss with records for carries (616), yards (3,060), rushing TDs (36), total touchdowns (41), points (246), and 100-yard games (13). Deuce majored in criminal justice. During the summer before his senior season, while Ole Miss was campaigning for him for the Heisman Trophy, Deuce decided to study abroad in Costa Rica.
In April 2001, Deuce was the 23rd overall pick by the New Orleans Saints. Deuce went on to rush for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons (a first in Saints history). He was the first Saint running back with 22 100-yard games, including a franchise-record nine straight in 2003. McAllister threw a touchdown pass on Dec. 9, 2001, against Atlanta. In 2003, he finished second in the NFC in rushing and fourth in the league with a career-high 1,641 yards on 351 carries, second in club history. Including the 516 yards on a career-high 69 receptions, McAllister posted 2,157 yards that season to set a club record and rank second in the NFC. All of these accomplishments were an encore to 2002, when in his first year as a starter he led the conference with 1,388 rushing yards, scored 16 TDs and was voted to the Pro Bowl. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl in 2003. In Deuce’s first-ever playoff start he rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown and had four catches for 20 yards and another touchdown as New Orleans defeated Philadelphia 27-24 to earn its first-ever NFC championship game appearance in the team’s 40-year history. McAllister set the all-time rushing touchdown record for the New Orleans Saints with a score against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 24, 2008. Deuce holds the all-time New Orleans Saints record for most career rushing yards (6,096) and touchdowns (55). Deuce retired from the NFL in January 2010; however, he had to make history one final time. On Jan. 15, 2010, he was re-signed by the Saints. On Feb. 7, 2010 the New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.
Deuce learned at an early age from his parents to always give back to others. In 2002, Deuce founded his Catch 22 Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of underprivileged youth in the Gulf South region. Since 2002, Deuce and his foundation have supported families in Mississippi and Louisiana by providing meals for families on Thanksgiving, providing a Christmas Shopping Adventure for children; providing countless educational trips through their Deuceday program; providing the means for youth to attend their senior proms; providing resources to families and schools after Katrina; sponsoring summer youth and after-school programs; hosting youth football camps; taking groups to Saints, M-Braves, and Zephyrs game.
In 2010, Deuce received the Army Community Award for his dedication to the state of Mississippi and Louisiana. In 2011, Deuce and his Catch 22 Foundation and Allstate Insurance formed a partnership. One of their key programs is touring the Gulf South Region and speaking to students about their X the TXT program. X the TXT is a program to stress the importance of students not to text while driving. Deuce and his foundation has also joined with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association Inc. to bring awareness to youth and parents about the importance of drinking milk and eating well.
Deuce is also part owner of the King Edward Hotel project and part owner of Mac & Bones miniature golf. As it is stated in the Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 661, which Deuce received July 2010, ‘Deuce is not only a hero to the New Orleans Saints and the Ole Miss Rebels football fans, but he symbolizes downtown economic development efforts in central Mississippi, has become the perfect citizen following his record-breaking professional football career, and is to be commended for bringing honor to his university, his community and to the State of Mississippi.’
