The Detroit Lions once again went to a former NFL player to fill their coaching staff and hire Antwaan Randle El to coach the team’s receivers.
Randle El has been an attacking assistant at Tampa Bay for the past two seasons and helped the team win the Super Bowl over Kansas City earlier this month.
The 41-year-old played nine years in the NFL with Pittsburgh and Washington, starting in 143 games with 71. He had 370 passes for 4,467 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was also a returnee for part of his career with 26 returns for 288 yards and an touchdown.
Randle El played quarterback in Indiana at university.
After retiring from the NFL, he became the athletics director at Virginia Academy, a high school he helped start. Then, in 2019, he decided to move into coaching.
Randle El becomes the youngest former NFL player to join the Lions’ coaching staff, along with head coach Dan Campbell, attacking coordinator Anthony Lynn, defense coordinator Aaron Glenn, assistant coach Mark Brunell, assistant head / coach Duce Staley, attacking coach. Hank Fraley and defense assistant Kelvin Sheppard.
Campbell said it was not intentional as he put together his staff.
“I did not go into this and say that I was not going to hire anything other than ex-players. It never occurred to me,” Campbell said. “In my head, I said, ‘Who’s the best man I know as someone I know as an excellent teacher and coach? That was the criteria. That was, it was always the standards and I swore I never I’m not going to hire the coach first and the person second, I’m hiring the person first and the coach second.
“So I refused to do that, that’s what I knew. I refused to hire my friends who are average coaches, or the man I owe, but an average coach, but an excellent person. Because that’s how you get average. And so it was a bonus that I knew AG. It was a bonus that I knew A-Lynn, because these are excellent people who are excellent coaches, and that’s why I just got this thing. went on and literally said, “Where can I find the best guys? How can I find the best guys? Who are the best guys?”