The Redskins Coaching Staff: The Good Ol' Days

After seeing the signing of former WR Ike Hilliard as the receivers coach, I started wondering what other coaches' playing careers were like. So I decided to spend a few minutes researching each. We'll begin with Mike Shanahan, who I could only find record of playing on wikipedia.

Mike Shanahan

Executive Vice President/Head Coach

Mike Shanahan had quite a short playing career. After high school, he played QB at Eastern Illinois University. During a practice in the 1970's, a hard hit ruptured one of his kidneys, which caused his heart to stop for 30 seconds and nearly.. technically... killed him. Thus ending his playing career.

Kyle Shanahan, Ike Hilliard, and others follow after the jump...

Kyle Shanahan

Offensive Coordinator

Kyle was a sure-handed WR that spent his college playing career at Duke ('98-'99) and Texas ('01-'02).

Kyle's freshman career was mainly spent as a backup, mostly in 3rd down situations. Kyle compiled seven receptions for 113 yards.

His second season at Duke gave him more action. Kyle was able to post six receptions for 60 yards before sustaining a hamstring injury. He spent the rest of his 1999 season as a medical redshirt.

Kyle transferred to UT after two seasons at Duke, and sat out the 2000 season due to NCAA transfer rules. His junior season at Texas would be his first Bowl appearance (Holiday Bowl). Kyles injuries continued to plague him throughout his junior year.

As a senior in 2002, Kyle saw action in 12 games as a reserve flanker. For the second season in a row, he would miss the opener due to injury. Kyle would eventually play in the Cotton Bowl vs. LSU.

Overall Career Stats: 27 receptions for 300 yards (College, 33 games)

Jim Haslett

Defensive Coordinator

Haslett went to Indiana Univerity of Pennsylvania, and was taken in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft (51 ovr.). Jim was awarded the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1979. Jim played for 7 seasons ('79-'85) with the Bills, and would return in '87 to play one final season with the Jets. In a 2005 article, Haslett admitted to using steroids while playing for the Bills. He went on to say that "everybody tried it", to gain a competitive advantage

Note: Tackle statistics, believe it or not, are not recorded prior to 2001

Overall Career Stats: 4.5 sacks and 6 interceptions in 94 games

Matt LaFleur

Quarterbacks

The Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, native played quarterback and wide receiver at Western Michigan from 1998-99 before transferring to Saginaw Valley State, where he was a quarterback from 2000-02. He played briefly in Omaha, Nebraska, and Billings, Montana, in the National Indoor Football League before beginning his coaching career.

Jacob Burney

Defensive Line

He was a four-year starter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga but went undrafted. He had tryouts with the Detroit Lions but was not signed to their roster.

Ike Hilliard

Defensive Backs

Ike spent 12 years in the NFL as a WR. Prior to his play with the Giants and Buccaneers, Hilliard was part of Steve Spurriers Florida Gators from '94-'96. Throughout his college career, Ike massed 126 receptions for 2,214 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns. He was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 2009. Hilliard declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft his Junior year, and was selected seventh overall by the Giants. Hilliard's career is riddled with somewhat average performances, but is quite consistent throughout. Ike did get the chance to play in a Superbowl, however. I believe he is the only Redskins coach with that Honor. In Super Bowl XXXV (2001) versus the Baltimore Ravens, Ike (then a Giant) caught 3 passes for 13 yards. The Giants would lose 34-7.

NFL Career Stats: 546 receptions for 6,397 yards, an 11.7 average, and 35 touchdowns (12 seasons, 161 games)

Raheem Morris

Defensive Backs

All I could really find on him in the 15-or-so minutes I allotted for research of each, was that he played Safety for Hofstra from '94-'97. He began coaching that same year.