The NFLPA Bowl was founded in 2012 and is an opportunity for draft-eligible players to get exposure and get noticed. Former players are there to give the young players advice and paint a picture for what they should expect for the next few months as the draft approaches. Scouts from every NFL team and other leagues come to watch these players. In recent years, players like Chris Conley, Marquette King, and Jatavis Brown have helped their draft stock. Tony Softli is the Director of College Recruiting while Josh Buchanan and Pete Russell assisted in recruiting the players for the game. The game will be played in Carson, CA at the StubHub Center Saturday January 21st 4:15 pm EST/ 1:15 pm PST. The American team has never won.
Former Redskins coach Jim Zorn will coach the American team. Zorn can relate to these players as a former player when he played for the Seattle Seahawks. He once earned second team All Pro as a quarterback. He can relate to these guys because he used to coach in college at Boise State and Utah State. His staff includes former players and coaches. Matthew Hayes, Bill Muir, Clayton Lopez, Ty Knott, Darnell Stapleton, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, Ron Howard, TJ Houshmanzadeh, Matthew Hatchette, Mike Wilson, Randy Hart, Antonio Pierce, Chip Vaughn, and Darrell Green will help Zorn coach this young crop. Their experience and path to the NFL is something that the players will gravitate toward.
Muir will serve as the offensive coordinator, Knott will be the special teams coach, and Hayes will serve as a coaching assistant to the head coach. Lopez is a former defensive backs coach for the Rams and Raiders, but will run the entire defense as the coordinator. Stapleton is an offensive line coach at Bucknell and will assume the same role for this game. He went to Rutgers and played for the Steelers as he won a Super Bowl. Howard will serve as the tight ends coach and I think he will be perfect for every player. He is a guy who went to a small school in Seattle and went undrafted. Howard would go on to player for the Cowboys, Seahawks, and Bills in 65 games. Talk about making something out of nothing.
Cadillac Williams is a graduate assistant at West Georgia after rushing for over 4,000 yards in the NFL. He had one of the best rookie years by a running back as he rushed for over 1,000 yards and was named AP NFL Rookie of the Year. Williams will monitor the running backs. Hatchette, Houshmanzadeh, and Wilson were all late round selections in the NFL Draft, but would go on to play five seasons or more in the league. Wilson played with Michael Irvin and won four Super Bowls while Houshmanzadeh played with Chad Johnson.
Defensively, Hart will serve as the defensive line coach after playing guard at Ohio State. He has made stops at his Alma mater, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Washington. Pierce won a ring with the Giants against an undefeated Patriots team as he played a chess match at linebacker against Tom Brady. He has served as an ESPN analyst and is currently the head coach at perennial west coast powerhouse Long Beach Poly. Houshmanzadeh is also a member on his staff.
The secondary will be divided, as Vaughn will monitor the safeties while Green will take the corners. Vaughn won a Super Bowl with the Saints and is currently playing in the CFL. Green currently holds a position as an Associate AD after playing in the NFL for almost two decades. He was a seven time Pro-Bowler, four time First team All-Pro, and was named to the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame. He recorded over 1,000 tackles, 54 interceptions, and won two rings. Green is also known for his big heart as he often gives back to the community through charitable events. This rounds out Zorn’s staff.
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