The Texas Football facility is filled with NFL experience

I’m not a UT football historian, but I’d be willing to bet that there has never been more accumulated NFL experience in the history of the program than right now under Steve Sarkisian. A deeper dive into Moncrief shows over 100 years of NFL insight in the different football departments.

COACHING STAFF, OFFENSE – 12 years: Steve Sarkisan is the play caller, so I’ll categorize him on the offensive side of the ball. He spent three seasons in the NFL, one as quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004, and two as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018. Kyle Flood served as Sarkisian’s assistant offensive line coach in Atlanta during that time before following Sarkisian to Alabama and then Texas. Dave Brock, who was a senior analyst for UT last season before accepting a job at Rutgers in January, was an offensive assistant and wide receivers coach for the Falcons from 2017 to 2021.

Tashard Choice not only accrued six seasons in the NFL as a player, he was a running backs intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 and mentored Ezekiel Elliott. Chris Jackson worked his way up from camp intern in 2018 with the Chicago Bears to eventually coaching wide receivers for Jacksonville in 2022.

COACHING STAFF, DEFENSE – 13 years: Bo Davis had three stints in the NFL spanning five seasons, most notably as the defensive line coach in Detroit from 2018 to 2020. Blake Gideon signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals after the 2012 NFL Draft, was released prior to the season, then signed onto the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Jacquies Smith, who just joined the staff as an EDGE coach, had a 7 year career in the NFL

ANALYSTS, GRADUATE ASSISTANTS, SUPPORT STAFF – 65 years: This group has a staggering total led by Joe DeCamillis who spent 34 seasons with 7 different organizations. Before his Wisconsin days, Paul Chryst coached the tight ends unit for the San Diego Chargers from 1999 to 2001, a group that included my uncle Alfred Pupunu. UT alumnus Michael Huff was a 1st-rounder and played 8 seasons, Joey Thomas was a 3rd-rounder and played 6, and Nico Johnson was a 4th-rounder and played 3. Dalton Williams, brother of former Longhorn All-American Connor Williams, signed with the Dallas Cowboys after going undrafted in 2013.

FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE – 9 years: Torre Becton interned with the Houston Texans in 2009. Joe Vaughn was an assistant strength & conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2018. Brad Solomon, UT’s new Associate Director of Football Performance – Nutrition, spent one season with the Las Vegas Raiders. Solomon replaced Kirsten Gregurich, who had two stints with the Indianapolis Colts for a total of four seasons before working with UT in 2022.

PLAYER PERSONNEL – 17 years: Bobby Merrit owns a total of thirteen seasons as a college scout split between the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. John Michael Jones interned with both the Houston Texans and UT’s recruiting department during his undergrad days.

ATHLETIC TRAINING – 5 years: Donald Nguyen, Daryl Faulkner, Jonathan Tran, and Stephen Galvan have almost 5 combined years of experience in the league.

CREATIVE MEDIA – 1 year: Kyra McCall spent the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers producing post-game interviews, providing media coverage, and was involved in photography as well.

With the exception of Huff, Jones, and the athletic training staff, everyone mentioned in this article was hired under Sarkisian’s watch. In order to talk NFL, you need to know what that looks like, whether it’s having worked in the NFL, played in the league, or developed players for the next level. You can’t speak out of theory – that’s not good enough. You need people who have walked the walk.

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