From WetPaint: “Dez was the Yale football player who auditioned for the show last season and failed to turn any chairs. He sang The Backstreet Boys’ ‘I Want It That Way,’ and pop diva Christina Aguilera was pretty bummed that she didn’t pick him. But this season, Dez was a bit luckier. The sexy singer impressed Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green and got three chairs to turn for him when he sang Hall & Oates’s ‘Sara Smile.’ Not willing to repeat last year’s mistake, Xtina wouldn’t take no for an answer and Dez soon joined her team. According to Dez’s Facebook page, he grew up one of six children in Shreveport, Louisiana. His parents are both pastors, and Dez and his older siblings even started a Christian band called Duron when he was 11! The singer is also a jock who loves football, baseball, and running track. Though he dropped out of Yale to pursue a career in music, singing isn’t his only career option. Dez is a model for American Eagle and can be seen in the clothing store’s latest commercials with Season 2 contestant Angel Taylor.”