Richard Hightower facts for kids

Richard Hightower, born on September 15, 1980, is a well-known American football coach. He currently works as the special teams coordinator for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).

His dad, Richard Sr., was a diesel mechanic. His mom, Carolyn, worked as a medical technician at a blood bank. When he was younger, Richard played quarterback in middle school. In high school, he switched to defensive back and wide receiver. His coaches thought he was too short to keep playing quarterback.

Playing Football in College

Richard Hightower went to the University of Texas for college. He earned an academic scholarship to attend the school. He also played college football there. He was a "walk-on" player, meaning he wasn't on a scholarship for football at first. He played as a wide receiver and on special teams. He was especially good on the kick coverage team.

While at Texas, he met another walk-on player named Kyle Shanahan. Richard played in every game during his second and third years. In his final year, 2002, something special happened. After years of being a walk-on, coach Mack Brown gave scholarships to Richard, Kyle Shanahan, and Michael Ungar. This happened in front of the whole team.

Richard didn't play a lot during games, but he did recover a fumble against Texas Tech in 2001. After his senior season, Coach Mack Brown and his staff gave Richard the D. Harold Byrd Leadership Award. This award is for great leadership.

After college, Richard earned a marketing degree in 2003. He worked in marketing for a while. He even had an internship with the Houston Texans before finding a full-time marketing job.

Richard Hightower's Coaching Journey

In 2006, Richard Hightower began his coaching career. He joined the Houston Texans as a coaching assistant. He worked under head coach Gary Kubiak. Later, he became an assistant coach for special teams.

In 2009, he moved to college football. He coached wide receivers at the University of Minnesota. He worked with assistant coach Tim Brewster there.

Back to the NFL

Richard returned to the NFL in 2010. He joined the Washington Redskins as an offensive quality control coach. He reunited with his friend and former teammate, Kyle Shanahan. Kyle was the offensive coordinator for the team. Richard eventually became the assistant special teams and defensive backs coach by 2013.

After the 2013 season, Richard and most of Washington's coaching staff were let go. He then followed Kyle Shanahan to the Cleveland Browns. There, he worked as an offensive quality control coach.

Moving Between Teams

Between 2015 and 2016, Richard Hightower moved between two teams. He was an assistant special teams coach for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears.

On February 17, 2017, he joined Kyle Shanahan again. This time, he became the special teams coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He stayed with the 49ers for five years. During this time, he helped them reach the playoffs twice. They even made it to Super Bowl LIV!

Richard returned to the Chicago Bears on February 6, 2022. He is now their special teams coordinator. In 2023, Richard was the head coach for the East team in the 2024 East-West Shrine game. The West team won that game.