Getty Antwaan Randle El playing during a Super Bowl for Pittsburgh.
The Detroit Lions haven’t been shy about populating their staff with former players in recent weeks, and that has culminated in yet another big name coming to the Motor City to lead the next generation.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive assistant and former star NFL wideout Antwaan Randle El was officially hired as Detroit’s newest wide receiver coach, and NFL.com contributor Bucky Brooks was happy about the move. As he said, he’s rooting for Randle El and others on the Detroit staff moving forward now to show what they can do as coaches.
Brooks was a former player, and it’s clear he is very disappointed not to see more players on coaching staffs across the league. In Detroit, the setup is offering a breath of fresh air. The Lions have multiple former players at multiple key spots on their offensive and defensive side of the ball. This combines to give them one of the most experienced NFL staffs ever created.
Whether it will pay off or not is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that the Randle El hire has given Brooks and others like him another reason to be very excited.
Bucky Brooks ‘Rooting’ for Lions Coaching Staff
Not only is Brooks happy for Randle El, but he’s happy for all the former players that currently make up the Detroit staff as well. This includes Mark Brunell, Aaron Glenn, Duce Staley, Anthony Lynn and also Dan Campbell himself. As Brooks said recently, he wants to see this group begin to shatter some narratives that former players don’t always make the best coaches in the league.
It’s obvious there is going to be no bigger champion for what the Lions are doing on the field the next few seasons than Brooks, who seems to love what the Lions have done in terms of their hiring process.
Follow the Heavy on Lions Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Detroit!
Antwaan Randle El Career Stats
Randle El will check off the former player box that the Lions seem to have in terms of coaching this offseason. The wideout turned quarterback starred and won a title in Pittsburgh, claiming Super Bowl XL. Randle El put up 4,467 receiving yards and 15 receiving scores as a player in the league and was a first-team All-Pro in 2005. The former college quarterback also threw 6 touchdowns in his career. After being drafted by the Steelers, Randle El joined the Washington Football Team from 2006-2009 and then signed again with the Steelers in 2010 before ending his career following Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
Even though he’s a former player first, Randle El does have some coaching experience to draw on, joining the Tamopa Bay staff in 2019 and 2020 and claiming Super Bowl LV. He’ll now get a big promotion to join Detroit to impart some wisdom on the team’s offensive staff and wide receivers.
Seeing if he does well will be something Brooks will now be watching for in the years ahead. It’s clear he’s more than a believer that this system could work out for the Lions.
READ NEXT: Mark Brunell Proves Why He’s Perfect Hire for Jared Goff