Leslie Frazier facts for kids
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Frazier in 2021
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| Seattle Seahawks | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Assistant head coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | April 3, 1959 Columbus, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 189 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Lee (Columbus, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Alcorn State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1981 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||
| Regular season: | 21–32–1 (.398) | ||||||||||||
| Postseason: | 0–1 (.000) | ||||||||||||
| Career: | 21–33–1 (.391) | ||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Leslie Antonio Frazier (born April 3, 1959) is a well-known American football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Frazier played professional football as a cornerback for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He even won a Super Bowl championship with the Bears in 1985.
After his playing career, Frazier became a successful coach. He served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. He has also been an assistant coach for many other NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles. Most recently, he was an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
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Early Life and College Football
Leslie Frazier started his sports journey at Stephen D. Lee High School in Columbus, Mississippi. He was a talented athlete, earning nine high school letters. This means he played three different sports: baseball, football, and basketball.
Frazier then played college football at Alcorn State University from 1978 to 1980. He played in the defensive secondary, which is a key part of the defense. In his first year, he made six interceptions and 62 tackles. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player. His second year was even better! He set a school record with nine interceptions and broke up 26 passes. He also recovered two fumbles and made 44 tackles. His team finished with an impressive 8–2 record that year. Frazier's third year was cut short by an injury, but he still managed five interceptions. After this, he decided to enter the NFL draft early.
Playing in the NFL
Even though Leslie Frazier was not picked in the 1981 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears signed him just a few days later. In his first year, he mostly played on special teams, returning kickoffs. In 1982, he became a starter, getting two interceptions and recovering a fumble. Over the next three seasons, he intercepted 18 more passes, showing his skill as a defensive player.
Frazier was a key part of the famous 1985 Chicago Bears team. This team was legendary and won Super Bowl XX. During that championship season, Frazier led the team with six interceptions. Sadly, his playing career ended during the Super Bowl itself. He suffered a serious knee injury while returning a punt and had to leave the game. The injury was very severe, and even after surgery, his knee never fully healed. He was released by the Bears in 1987. Frazier was also part of the "G Crew" in the team's famous song, "The Super Bowl Shuffle".
Becoming a Coach
After his playing career ended due to injury, Leslie Frazier decided to become a coach. He started his coaching journey in 1988. His first head coaching job was at Trinity College in Illinois, which is now called Trinity International University. He coached there for nine seasons. He helped build the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) football program from scratch. He even won two Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles. After his time at Trinity, he moved to the University of Illinois in 1997. There, he coached the defensive backs.
Coaching in the NFL
Leslie Frazier then moved on to coach in the NFL. He has worked with many different teams, helping their defenses improve.
- Philadelphia Eagles (1999–2002): Frazier joined the Philadelphia Eagles as their defensive backs coach. The Eagles' defense got much better during his four years there.
- Cincinnati Bengals (2003–2004): He became the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He helped the team get more "takeaways" (interceptions and fumbles recovered) from opponents. In 2004, the Bengals had 36 takeaways, which was third best in the NFL.
- Indianapolis Colts (2005–2006): In 2005, Frazier joined the Indianapolis Colts. He was brought in to help their young defensive backs. The Colts' passing defense improved a lot during his time there. In 2007, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, beating Frazier's former team, the Chicago Bears.
- Minnesota Vikings (2007–2013): Frazier became the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. In 2010, he was named the interim head coach for part of the season. He then became the permanent head coach in 2011. In 2012, the Vikings had a great turnaround, improving their record to 10 wins and 6 losses. This helped them make the playoffs. He was the Vikings' head coach until the end of the 2013 season.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014–2015): After leaving the Vikings, Frazier became the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Baltimore Ravens (2016): He then coached the secondary for the Baltimore Ravens.
- Buffalo Bills (2017–2022): In 2017, Frazier joined the Buffalo Bills as their defensive coordinator. In his first year, the Bills made the playoffs for the first time in many years. In 2020, he was promoted to assistant head coach. The Bills continued to be very successful, winning their division and making it to the AFC Championship Game. He stepped away from coaching in 2023 but planned to return in 2024.
- Seattle Seahawks (2024–present): In 2024, Leslie Frazier was hired as the assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Personal Life
Leslie Frazier is a Christian. He is married to Gale Frazier, and they have three children.
