DeRogatis was born in Newark, New Jersey, and attended the city's Central High School, earning All-State honors at center.

He was drafted the following year by the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) and played defensive tackle.

DeRogatis relinquished his NBC duties prior to the 1976 NFL season despite one more year remaining on his contract with the network.

[3] Sports Illustrated magazine's "Dr. Z" (aka Paul Zimmerman) has rated DeRogatis as his #1 football analyst of all time.

[4] Upon his death in 1995, DeRogatis was eulogized in the Boston Globe as a prototype for what it means to be a gentleman, in the sense of displaying a gracious, polite, kind and generous nature.