Getty NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 28: defensive end Cliff Avril #56 of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to the media during Super Bowl XLVIII Media Day at the Prudential Center on January 28, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. Super Bowl XLVIII will be played between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos on February 2. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks produced some legends over the last decade, including some future Hall of Famers like Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson. Now, one of those former Seahawks stars is interested in joining the team’s coaching staff.
Former Seattle Pro Bowl defensive end Cliff Avril publicly expressed his interest in coaching while appearing on the Seattle Sports radio show Wyman & Bob. He talked about mentoring young players, his relationship with linebacker K.J. Wright, and his thoughts on working with Pete Carroll’s coaching staff.
This is what Avril had to say, according to Jordan Duncan from Seahawks.com.
“I would love to. For sure. I would love to be a part of the organization. And my whole thing is, honestly, on the coaching side, being on the field would be great. I work with a lot of the young guys already…But I think it’s more along the lines of just having some veteran players that know what it looks like to be a pro. Sometimes coaches — and I’m not putting this on the Seahawks, I’m just saying in general in the NFL — sometimes when you look at the young player, he’s cheaper, all these different things. But if he doesn’t have a leader to help him understand what he’s getting himself into, his career ends up being shorter than it needs to be. So having some leadership, guys that have been in the locker room, guys that have been in the trenches that have seen the same plays that they’re seeing, I think there’s just a different level of respect that’ll come with that.”
Cliff Avril’s Impressive On-Field Resume
There are plenty of former NFL players who are interested in coaching, and many end up making a second career out of it. For Avril, his resume from his playing days is impressive enough that a team like the Seahawks could be interested in finding a role for him.
Avril was selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, playing there for five seasons before signing with the Seahawks in 2013. It was great timing for Avril as Seattle won the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
ALL the latest Seahawks news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Seahawks newsletter here!
The 36-year-old went on to play through the 2017 season, ending a 10-year career with a Super Bowl ring, a 2016 Pro Bowl selection, 74 career sacks, and 30 career forced fumbles.
Cliff Avril’s Sack 360 Program
After retiring, Avril decided to create his own pass rush academy to teach the next generation of pass rushers. The program has featured a number of impressive guests, including a number of former Seahawks teammates as well as former Washington Huskies first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, according to the program’s Instagram page.
The program originally started so that Avril could stay around the game, but given his comments about wanting to join the Seahawks coaching staff, the Sack 360 program could give him extra credibility if Carroll is legitimately interested in bringing in the former Pro Bowler for as an assistant.
No one from the Seahawks has publicly said anything about Avril interviewing for a position, but there’s still plenty of time for him to start getting into coaching.