Aaron Glenn’s rise from Professional Bowl cornerback to go coach of the New York Jets is a narrative rooted in perseverance and objective. Now main an NFL staff for the primary time. Glenn is constructing a workers that displays his journey, and it contains key voices from the HBCU group. Two former HBCU gamers, Eric Washington and Roosevelt Williams, will coach on the defensive aspect of the ball below veteran coordinator Steve Wilks.
Glenn’s Journey to the Prime
After retiring from the NFL in 2008, Aaron Glenn took the lengthy street to the teaching ranks. He began as a scouting intern and climbed by the roles of secondary coach and defensive coordinator. Now, because the New York Jets’ head coach. He has assembled a various and skilled workers, with a powerful emphasis on protection and improvement.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks brings each NFL pedigree and deep HBCU ties. He started his teaching profession at Johnson C. Smith as a defensive coordinator in 1995–96 and later served at Savannah State earlier than changing into head coach in 1999. That basis formed his profession, which has included roles with the Panthers, Cardinals, and Browns.
Eric Washington: From Grambling State to the NFL Elite
Eric Washington, a Grambling State graduate, enters his 18th NFL season with expertise and outcomes on his aspect. He most just lately served because the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2023. Earlier than that, Washington labored with Wilks in Carolina for seven seasons. Teaching a dominant defensive position that helped the Panthers rank among the many league’s greatest in sacks. Carolina completed No. 1 in sacks in 2013 and stayed within the prime 10 a number of instances below his watch.
Washington’s resume additionally features a sturdy stint in Buffalo. Whereas with the Payments, he helped lead a protection that topped the NFL in factors allowed, complete protection, and move protection in 2021. Initially from Shreveport, Louisiana, he performed tight finish at Grambling State and graduated with a level in training in 1993.
Roosevelt Williams: From Tuskegee to the Massive Leagues
Roosevelt Williams brings a wealth of faculty teaching expertise and a taking part in background rooted in HBCU pleasure. Drafted by the Bears in 2002 out of Tuskegee, Williams performed for 5 NFL groups and completed his profession within the CFL.
Since 2010, he has coached at a number of packages, together with Houston Christian, Hardin-Simmons, Lincoln College, and ASA Miami. Williams held roles starting from defensive backs coach to go coach. Now, at 46, he takes an enormous step ahead by becoming a member of the New York Jets’ workers.
Why Illustration Issues
Current strikes by former HBCU gamers and coaches like DJ Williams with the Atlanta Falcons, Nick Collins with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, and Dawson Odums with the Jacksonville Jaguars underscore a rising—however nonetheless restricted—wave of HBCU alumni breaking into NFL teaching ranks.
DJ Williams, the son of HBCU icon Doug Williams, has formally been named the full-time quarterbacks coach of the Atlanta Falcons. His journey from Grambling State College to the NFL teaching ranks displays the enduring legacy of HBCU excellence in soccer.
Nick Collins, a Tremendous Bowl-winning security from Bethune-Cookman, is returning to the Inexperienced Bay Packers as a part of the NFL’s prestigious Invoice Walsh Range Teaching Fellowship. This chance marks a full-circle second for Collins, who beforehand served because the Packers’ cornerbacks coach throughout coaching camp.
In the meantime, Dawson Odums, who beforehand served as head coach at Norfolk State College, has joined the Jacksonville Jaguars by the NFL’s Invoice Walsh Range Teaching Fellowship. This transfer highlights the growing recognition of HBCU teaching expertise on the skilled degree.
These examples illustrate the significance of seizing alternatives. Teaching alternatives are uncommon within the NFL, making every breakthrough very important. It’s not nearly incomes a task—it’s about sustaining a presence, gaining belief, and constructing networks that may allow extra HBCU expertise to rise within the ranks.
Eric Washington and Roosevelt Williams becoming a member of Aaron Glenn’s Jets workers suits squarely into this rising sample. Their journeys—and people of Williams, Collins, and Odums—show that when given the possibility, HBCU alumni can thrive and elevate the sport on the highest degree.
