 Jack Del Rio at the Jaguars 2008 training camp. |
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| Born | April 4, 1963 Castro Valley, California |
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| Career information | |||
| Year(s) | 1985–1996 | ||
| NFL Draft | 1985 / Round: 3 / Pick: 68 | ||
| College | USC | ||
| Professional teams | |||
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As Player
As Coach
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| Career stats | |||
| Sacks | 13 | ||
| Interceptions | 13 | ||
| Games | 160 | ||
| Stats at NFL.com | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jack Del Rio (born April 4, 1963 in Castro Valley, California) is a former American football player and is the current head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Early life
Del Rio attended and played football for Hayward High School in Hayward, California.
Playing career
College career
Del Rio was an All-American linebacker at the University of Southern California and was MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl. Drafted by baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays in 1981, Del Rio batted .340 while playing catcher on USC’s baseball team with Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson. In football, during his senior year, he earned consensus All-America honors as a senior and was runner-up for the Lombardi Award.
Del Rio's roommate at USC was ESPN football analyst and former NFL and CFL quarterback Sean Salisbury.
Underscoring the rivalry between USC and UCLA, Del Rio, on December 12, 2006, appeared at a press conference wearing a UCLA basketball jersey after losing a bet with current Jaguars and ex-UCLA running back Maurice Jones-Drew.[1] UCLA's football team had recorded one of the biggest upsets in school history by defeating USC the previous week. However, after acknowledging his loss in the bet, he removed the UCLA jersey, revealing a USC polo shirt underneath.
Del Rio earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Kansas in 1990, while he was a player for the Kansas City Chiefs.[2]
He is a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity.
Professional career
Del Rio was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 3rd round of the 1985 NFL Draft. His 11-year career was spent between the Saints (1985-1986), the Kansas City Chiefs (1987-1988), Dallas Cowboys (1989–1991), and Minnesota Vikings (1992–1995). He played in the 1994 Pro Bowl. Signed by the Miami Dolphins before the 1996 season, Del Rio retired when he lost his job to rookie Zach Thomas. Del Rio notes retirement as one of the toughest things he's ever had to do.
Coaching career
Del Rio began his coaching career with the New Orleans Saints in 1997 as the Strength and Conditioning coach. In 1999, he accepted a position with the Baltimore Ravens as their linebackers coach. He is in part credited for the success of the Ravens' defense, particularly the 2000 Ravens' defense. After the 2001 season, he was named defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. In his first season as defensive coordinator, he led them to the second best defense in the league that season.
In 2003, Del Rio became the second head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars following Tom Coughlin's dismissal. In his first season, he led the team to a 5–11 record. In 2004, the Jaguars narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record, the first winning record in five seasons. The following season, the team made the playoffs as a wild card team; however, the season was ended with a 28–3 loss to the New England Patriots.
On April 3, 2008, Del Rio's contract with the Jaguars was extended through the 2012 season. [3]
Keep Chopping Wood
During his first season with the Jaguars, after the team started 0–3, Del Rio had a massive tree stump and axe placed in the team locker room. He also placed a sign that had his new team mantra, "Keep Chopping Wood." It was intended to indicate how they were to slowly whittle away the huge obstacle in the way of improving the team. While most of the team was out for practice, punter Chris Hanson took a swing, missed the stump and seriously injured his non kicking foot. Hanson missed the remainder of the 2003 season, being replaced by Mark Royals.[4]
Sideline attire
Del Rio became the second NFL head coach to wear a suit on the sidelines since 1993 during a November 20, 2006 regular season contest against the New York Giants, immediately following then San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan who had sported the look the previous day in a win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Del Rio's Jaguars won that game by a score of 26–10. Previously, a sponsorship deal between the NFL and Reebok prohibited coaches from wearing anything but Reebok clothing, but a series of events -- including Nolan petitioning for permission to wear a suit and Reebok planning to unveil a formal line of clothing in 2007 -- led to the NFL adopting a rule that permits coaches to wear a suit two times a year.[5] During the 2007 NFL season, both Del Rio and Nolan were given permission to wear a suit at all eight of their respective teams regular season home games.[citation needed].
Coaching tree
NFL head coaches under whom Jack Del Rio has served:
- Mike Ditka, New Orleans Saints (1997–1998)
- Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens (1999–2001)
- John Fox, Carolina Panthers (2002)
Assistant coaches under Jack Del Rio whom have became NFL head coaches:
- Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons (2008–present)
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| JAX | 2003 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3rd in AFC South | - | - | - | - |
| JAX | 2004 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in AFC South | - | - | - | - |
| JAX | 2005 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in AFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to New England Patriots in AFC Wild-Card Game. |
| JAX | 2006 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in AFC South | - | - | - | - |
| JAX | 2007 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in AFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to New England Patriots in AFC Divisional Game. |
| JAX | 2008 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC South | - | - | - | - |
| JAX | 2009 | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | Season in progress | - | - | - | - |
| Total[6] | 55 | 50 | 0 | .524 | 1 | 2 | .333 | - | ||
Awards and honors
- 2010 NCAA Silver Anniversary Awards honoree.[7]
- 1994 Pro Bowl selection.
- 1994 All-Pro selection.
- Super Bowl XXXV champion as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens.
Personal life
Del Rio and his wife, Linda, have three daughters, Lauren, Hope and Aubrey, and one son, Luke. His siblings are Jeff, Jamie and half siblings Jason and David. He is the son of Cathy Dwalz and Jack Del Rio, Sr. Del Rio is the grandson of Hope Grasseschi and Louis Del Rio and the great Grandson of Alfredo Grasseschi and Alena Michelotti.
References
- ^ http://video.nbcsports.com/player/?id=50049
- ^ Garfield, David. "NFL success, KU degree among Del Rio's rewards," KU Alumni magazine, Issue 5, 2007, page 55.
- ^ "Del Rio is a done deal". Jaguars.com. 2008-04-03. http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=6843. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Locker room prop costs Jaguars their punter
- ^ First Coast News
- ^ Jack Del Rio Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ "2010 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award". http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=16993. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
External links
- Jacksonville Jaguars Bio
- Jack's Career Stats as an NFL linebacker
- Jack Del Rio Profile at USC Legends
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom Coughlin |
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coaches 2003–present |
Succeeded by Current coach |
| Preceded by John Marshall |
Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinators 2002 |
Succeeded by Mike Trgovac |
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