Getty Jahvid Best celebrates a score for the Lions in 2011.
Once upon a time, Jahvid Best was the Detroit Lions’ next biggest hope at running back, but injuries got in the way and compromised what had been a very promising start to his career.
Unfortunately, Best was out of the league quickly after sustaining multiple concussions both in college and the pros, but the best news about this story is it has a happy ending. Instead of letting the injuries claim his love of the game, Best simply reset things and has decided on a brand new way for him to love the game. He’s become a high school coach.
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It was revealed that Best has taken the head coaching job at St. Mary’s College High School, which is located in Berkley, California. In high school, he was one of the more decorated prospects in football, grinding out the yards through the years. When his football career was done, Best turned his focus to track and field, representing Jamaica in the 2016 Olympics.
Now, Best is ready to become a coach and transfer his wisdom to the next generation, which is cool to see.
Best’s Stats and Highlights
Coming into the NFL, there was no question what Best could do with a ball in his hands. He was very electric at Cal while toting the rock, and put up a total of 2,668 yards and 29 touchdowns during his time in the PAC-12. Best also excelled at catching the ball, putting up 533 receiving yards and 6 career scores through the air. Those stats made him very appealing to the running back needy Lions, who snagged him in the first-round after trading back up. In the league, Best put up 945 rushing yards and 774 receiving yards with 9 total touchdowns.
Quite possibly, Best’s top moment with the Lions came when he electrified Ford Field with an 88 yard touchdown on Monday Night Football.
Suffice it to say that highlights like that only serve to prove how unfortunate it was that Best’s career was tragically cut short by injuries. A silver lining was how Best was able to stay active and make the Olympics, but that will never stop folks from wondering what he could have done if healthy.
Best’s Legacy With Lions
As a whole, it’s neat to see the former Lions running back staying involved in the game and coaching. It was long clear Best loved the game, and he was a great teammate for the Lions through the years when he was on the roster. In Detroit, he will always be remembered fondly, even though he didn’t stay with the team very long and was out of the league only shortly after coming into it. That wasn’t Best’s fault, and it’s a reason that many Lions fans consider him to be a player that is perhaps the saddest “what if” case in Lions history. What if Best hadn’t been unlucky with concussions? Could he have been Detroit’s version of Darren Sproles? It’s more than possible considering what talent and raw breakaway speed he had.
Certainly, Best is a player many fans consider a member of the Lions for life thanks to these efforts, and everyone wishes him well on his new venture.
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