Dan DeRose, a member of the Class of 1980, was active in three sports - football, basketball, and track. He was a State track qualifier in the shot-put, and was All-State in football. DeRose was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Southern Colorado, he later briefly played professional football for the New York Giants, and was co-founder of the Pueblo Crusaders semi-pro football team.

After a brief career as Athletic Director at the University of Southern Colorado, DeRose changed his focus and centered his talents in the business world. DeRose was founder and CEO of DD Marketing, a corporation that specialized in external revenue generation for educational entities. DeRose continues to be a major force in the City of Pueblo.