Deshea Townsend facts for kids
Townsend (left) with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007
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| Detroit Lions | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive passing game coordinator & defensive back coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | September 8, 1975 Batesville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | South Panola (Batesville, Mississippi) |
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| College: | Alabama | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1998 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Deshea Townsend, born on September 8, 1975, is an American football coach. He used to be a professional football player, playing as a cornerback. Currently, he works for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL). He helps coach the team's defensive backs and coordinates their passing game defense.
Before joining the Lions, Townsend was an assistant coach for several other NFL teams. These included the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals. As a player, he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was then chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL draft. He spent most of his playing career with the Steelers, except for his final year with the Indianapolis Colts.
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Early Life and High School Football
Deshea Townsend grew up in Batesville, Mississippi. He played high school football for the South Panola Tigers. He was a quarterback on the team.
In 1993, he led his team to win the Mississippi State 5A championship. They had a perfect season with 15 wins and no losses.
College Football Career
After high school, Townsend went to the University of Alabama to play college football. He studied business management there.
During his time at Alabama, he made seven interceptions. In 1995, he had a memorable play against Georgia. He returned a blocked field goal attempt 90 yards for a touchdown.
Townsend was recognized as an All-SEC player in 1995, 1996, and 1997. This means he was one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference.
Professional Playing Career
Joining the NFL
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Deshea Townsend in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft. He was the 117th player chosen overall. He was the 14th cornerback selected that year.
Time with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Townsend started his career with the Steelers playing on special teams and as a nickelback. He eventually became a strong starting cornerback for the team. He was known for his speed when rushing the passer.
During his twelve years with the Steelers, Townsend made 322 tackles and 15.5 quarterback sacks. He also had 18 interceptions. A very important moment was in Super Bowl XL. He made a key sack on Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. This play helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl.
The Steelers signed Townsend to new contracts in 2002 and 2006. In 2008, he took on a smaller role, playing mainly in the nickel package defense.
Playing for the Indianapolis Colts
In August 2010, Townsend joined the Indianapolis Colts. He played in eight games for the Colts. He made 10 tackles during his time with the team. He was released by the Colts in November 2010.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 1998 | PIT | 12 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | PIT | 16 | 4 | 38 | 33 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | PIT | 16 | 0 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | PIT | 16 | 1 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 2.0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PIT | 16 | 3 | 47 | 40 | 7 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | PIT | 16 | 8 | 46 | 39 | 7 | 1.0 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 56 | 47 | 9 | 4.0 | 4 | 54 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | PIT | 16 | 15 | 55 | 41 | 14 | 3.0 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 | PIT | 16 | 12 | 41 | 37 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 52 | 45 | 7 | 0.0 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PIT | 12 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0.0 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | PIT | 16 | 2 | 27 | 24 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | IND | 8 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 191 | 80 | 470 | 392 | 78 | 15.5 | 21 | 190 | 3 | 39 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2001 | PIT | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PIT | 2 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | PIT | 4 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | PIT | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 7 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Coaching Career
Arizona Cardinals Assistant Coach
In 2011, Deshea Townsend became an assistant defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He worked with former coach Ray Horton there. He left the team at the end of the 2012 season.
Mississippi State Cornerbacks Coach
Townsend was hired as the cornerbacks coach at Mississippi State University in 2013. Under his coaching, some players had great seasons. For example, Nickoe Whitley made 5 interceptions, which was the second-best in the SEC.
Tennessee Titans Defensive Backs Coach
In 2016, Townsend became the defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans. He worked with Dick LeBeau, who was his defensive coordinator when he played for the Steelers. A player he coached, Kevin Byard, led the NFL in interceptions. Byard also made the Pro Bowl in 2018.
New York Giants Assistant Coach
Townsend joined the New York Giants as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2018. During his time there, cornerback Janoris Jenkins ranked high in passes defended. Safety Landon Collins also made the Pro Bowl.
Chicago Bears Secondary Coach
In 2019, Townsend became the defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears. This role was later called secondary coach. Under his guidance, Kyle Fuller was selected for the Pro Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars Coordinator
Townsend was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. He worked as their passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He left the Jaguars in January 2024.
Detroit Lions Coach
In February 2024, Deshea Townsend joined the Detroit Lions. He is currently their passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
