Sports Biography: Jack Del Rio

Jack Del Rio, an 11-year NFL veteran, was a third-round draft choice by the New Orleans Saints in 1985. He was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team and earned the Saints Rookie of the Year award in 1985. Following two seasons in New Orleans, Del Rio played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1987-88), the Dallas Cowboys (1989-91), and the Minnesota Vikings (1992-95). He led the Vikings in tackles three straight years (1992-94) and played in the Pro Bowl following the 1994 season. During his career, Del Rio started more than 100 consecutive games. He went to the playoffs once with the Cowboys and three times with the Vikings.

Jack Del Rio was named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 17, 2003, becoming only the second head coach in franchise history. Del Rio was the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in 2002, his sixth season as an NFL assistant coach. He previously spent 11 years as an NFL linebacker and had a standout college career at the University of Southern California.

At 40, Del Rio was the second-youngest head coach in the NFL, just four months older than Tampa Bay’s Jon Gruden. Del Rio has learned from some of the best coaches in all of football. He was recruited to USC and played for John Robinson, and in the NFL he played under Bum Phillips, Jim Mora, Frank Gansz, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Green. As an assistant coach, he has worked for Hall of Famer Mike Ditka and Super Bowl winner Brian Billick, as well as John Fox.

Del Rio joined the Carolina Panthers staff on January 27, 2002 as the team’s defensive coordinator. In his only season with Carolina, the defense improved to second in the league from 31st in 2001. Despite coming off a 1-15 season, the Panthers defense allowed only 290.4 yards per game, behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina led the NFL in fewest rushing yards per attempt (3.7) and were second in three other categories: fewest yards per play, third down efficiency and sacks. The Panthers allowed only 302 points, fourth fewest in the league. They did not allow a 300-yard passer and didn’t yield a 100-yard rusher until the season finale.

From 1999 to 2001, Del Rio was the linebackers coach of the Baltimore Ravens, helping the team win Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants. For those three years, all of which the Ravens finished second in total defense, Del Rio coached the Ravens talented linebackers, overseeing the development of Peter Boulware, Jamie Sharper and Ray Lewis, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV.

During the Ravens Super Bowl championship season in 2000, Baltimore’s defense set the NFL 16-game record by allowing only 165 points and recording four shutouts, one shy of the post-1970 record. The group also led the NFL with 49 forced turnovers. The defense continued its domination in the playoffs, allowing just one touchdown in four games. The lone score allowed in the Ravens? 34-7 Super Bowl win over the New York Giants came on a kickoff return.

Del Rio was a four-year starter from 1981 to 1984 at Southern California, where he earned consensus All-America honors as a senior and was runner-up for the Lombardi Award. The Trojans were 30-15-1 during his four seasons, three times ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. He played in the 1982 Fiesta Bowl and was co-MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl. Drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981, Del Rio batted .340 while playing catcher on Southern California’s baseball team in 1983 and 1984. He was a teammate of current Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson and former major league slugger Mark McGwire.

Some of his accomplishments include:
•    Named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 17, 2003
•    Named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team
•    New Orleans Saints Rookie of the Year, 1985
•    Led the Minnesota Vikings in tackles three straight years
•    Played in the Pro Bowl, 1994
•    Started more than 100 consecutive games
•    Played in the NFL playoffs 4 years
•    Second-youngest head coach in the NFL
•    Linebackers Coach helping Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV
•    Consensus All-America at USC
•    Hit .340 for USC’s baseball team
•    Drafted by Toronto Blue Jays MLB team