Kevin Ross (American football) facts for kids

Kevin Lesley Ross (born January 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the cornerbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL). During his playing days, he was a talented cornerback and safety.

Kevin Ross was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 1984 NFL draft. He was the 173rd player picked overall. He played his first 10 seasons with the Chiefs. Later, he also played for the Atlanta Falcons for two seasons and the San Diego Chargers for one year. He then returned to the Chiefs for a final season in 1997.

Playing Career Highlights

Kevin Ross played high school football at Paulsboro High School in Paulsboro, New Jersey. After high school, he went on to attend Temple University.

Starting Strong in the NFL

When the Chiefs drafted Kevin Ross in 1984, he quickly became a starter in his very first year. He was known for his "bump-and-run" coverage, which meant he was excellent at staying close to the players he was guarding. This made it very hard for opposing teams to complete passes against him.

Time with the Chiefs

During his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Kevin Ross intercepted 30 passes. He also scored 5 touchdowns for the team. He played a total of 156 games for the Chiefs, showing how important he was to their defense. After leaving to play for the Atlanta Falcons in 1994, he came back to the Chiefs for five games in 1997.

Top Cornerback and Hall of Famer

In July 2008, the NFL Network named Kevin Ross and his former teammate Albert Lewis as one of the NFL's top 10 all-time cornerback duos. This shows how skilled they were together.

Kevin Ross was selected to play in two NFL Pro Bowls, which is a special game for the league's best players. In 2011, he was honored by being added to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. He is also one of only three players in Chiefs history to score a touchdown in at least four different ways. These ways include intercepting passes, returning blocked field goals, recovering fumbles, and returning blocked punts.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Kevin Ross became a football coach, sharing his knowledge with new generations of players.

San Diego Chargers Coaching

From 2007 to 2009, Kevin Ross worked as an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers. He helped coach the defensive backs and also worked in quality control for the defense.

Oakland Raiders Coaching

On March 5, 2010, Kevin Ross was hired by the Oakland Raiders. There, he served as the defensive backs coach, helping their players improve their skills. He coached for the Raiders until the end of the 2011 season.

Arizona Cardinals Coaching

In 2013, Kevin Ross joined the Arizona Cardinals as their cornerbacks coach. He stayed in this important role until 2017, helping the team's cornerbacks become better players.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coaching and Super Bowl Win

Kevin Ross was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. This move reunited him with coach Bruce Arians. As the cornerbacks coach for the Buccaneers, he achieved a major milestone. He won Super Bowl LV with the team! This was his first Super Bowl victory, either as a player or a coach. It was extra special because they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he played for during most of his career, with a score of 31–9.