Awhile back, Essence spoke to then-football hottie Will Demps for “Groupie Love,” an essay outlining his struggle to meet his perfect match. Your mail poured in (yes, he read all of your letters), asking the very single African-American and Korean stunner for a chance to get to know him better. ESSENCE.com caught up “Pretty Willie,” as him former teammates call him, to find out what keeps this 30-year-old entertained now that he’s off the field, how he maintains his washboard abs, and how it’s possible that a man this fine, is really, seriously, single.
BY DEMETRIA L. LUCAS
Since parting ways with the Houston Texans, Will’s used his downtime to see the world. When ESSENCE.com caught up with him, he’s just returned from a two and a half week stay in Korea where he visited his family on his mother’s side. “I love to travel,” says Demps.“I always want to see something new.”
After an 8 year stint in the NFL, of course, Will misses the game. “Playing football is almost like being in a fraternity, or being part of a family,” he says. "You grind together, you work out together, you watch film together…
“I miss the camaraderie and the games on Sunday,” he adds. “But I’m ready for whatever God has planned for me. I’m blessed not stressed.”
Always an optimist, Will’s found a bright side to not being on the field.
“I’m no longer Will Demps Who Plays Football,” he says. “When I go out, I’m not that guy on the TV screen during the season. People can finally see that football was what I did. It was never who I was.”
“I never saw myself as model,” says Will who began modeling while he was still in the NFL and has done an impressive share of cover and editorial work. “People would always tell me I had a different look. I tried it and it worked out.”
When Will popped up in “Torn,” the solo debut video for former-Destiny’s Child singer Letoya Luckett, we weren’t conflicted at all. We liked what we saw and we wanted to take him home. End of story.
To keep his physique in top form, Will runs every morning and hits the gym for weight-training, yoga, or kickboxing 3 to 4 times a week. You might also find him in the nail salon, getting his groom on.
“I get my mani-pedi done. It’s nothing wrong with that,” says Will. “I don’t want to have dirty fingers, long nails, or jacked up toes. A groomed appearance goes a long way when you meet people.”
“I’m prepared to be in a committed relationship,” says Will. “I’ve molded myself into a man that has something to offer a girlfriend, a fiancee, or a wife.”
Will describes himself as," a humble guy. I’m comfortable with who i am." Think you have what it takes to become the lady in his life?
“I don’t really have a type,” Will says. “I just want a woman that is open-minded, free-spritied and laughs a lot.”
When he’s not in front of the camera, Will, who has a computer science degree, is working on TelFan, a computer program that allows celebrities and their fans to interact. The program with launch in 2010.
Keep in contact with Will on Twitter: twitter.com/willdemps
