Deshea Townsend facts for kids
Townsend (left) with the 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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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Trevor Deshea Townsend (born September 8, 1975) is an American football coach. He used to be a professional cornerback player. Currently, he works for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL). He is their defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Before joining the Lions, Townsend was an assistant coach for several other NFL teams. These include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals.
Townsend played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Pittsburgh Steelers picked him in the 1998 NFL draft. He played most of his career with the Steelers. His final year as a player was 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 teammates with Dwayne Rudd, who also became an Alabama Crimson Tide star.
Townsend played quarterback in high school. He led his team to a perfect 15–0 record in 1993. They also won the Mississippi State 5A championship that year.
Playing Football
College Years at Alabama
Townsend went to the University of Alabama for college. He studied business management. He also joined a fraternity there.
During his college career, Townsend made seven interceptions. In 1995, he returned a blocked field goal 90 yards for a touchdown. This helped Alabama win 31–0 against Georgia.
He was recognized as an All-SEC player three times. This means he was one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference. He earned this honor in 1995, 1996, and 1997.
NFL Career
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Townsend in 1998. He was the 117th player chosen overall. He was the 14th cornerback picked that year.
Townsend started his career on special teams and as a nickelback. He became a strong starting cornerback for the Steelers. He was known for his speed when rushing the passer.
During his twelve years with the Steelers, he made 322 tackles. He also had 15.5 quarterback sacks and 18 interceptions. A key moment was his sack on Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. This happened in the final minutes of Super Bowl XL. That 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. He moved from starting cornerback to playing in the nickel package.
Indianapolis Colts
In August 2010, Townsend joined the Indianapolis Colts. He played in eight games for them. He made 10 tackles but had no interceptions or sacks. The Colts released him in November 2010.
Coaching Career
Arizona Cardinals
After his playing career, Townsend became a coach. On February 10, 2011, he joined the Arizona Cardinals. He worked as an assistant defensive backs coach. He left the team at the end of the 2012 season.
Mississippi State
In January 2013, Townsend became the cornerbacks coach at Mississippi State University. Under his coaching, defensive back Nickoe Whitley had 5 interceptions. This was the second-best in the SEC. Jamerson Love was second in interception return touchdowns. Taveze Calhoun was second in interception return yards. Whitley was named All-SEC in 2013.
Tennessee Titans
Townsend joined the Tennessee Titans as defensive backs coach on January 26, 2016. He worked with Dick LeBeau, his former defensive coordinator from his playing days. Under Townsend's coaching, safety Kevin Byard led the NFL in interceptions. Byard also made the 2018 Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro.
New York Giants
On February 6, 2018, Townsend became the assistant defensive backs coach for the New York Giants. While he was there, cornerback Janoris Jenkins ranked fifth in passes defended. Safety Landon Collins also made the Pro Bowl.
Chicago Bears
Townsend was named the defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears on January 18, 2019. This position was later called secondary coach. Under his guidance, Kyle Fuller made the Pro Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On February 17, 2022, Townsend was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was their passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He worked under head coach Doug Pederson. He left the Jaguars on January 8, 2024.
Detroit Lions
On February 21, 2024, Townsend joined the Detroit Lions. He is now their defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. He works under head coach Dan Campbell.
