Robert Massey facts for kids

Robert Lee Massey (born February 17, 1966) is an American football coach and a former professional player. He is currently the head football coach for Winston-Salem State University, a job he has had since 2019. Before becoming a coach, Massey was a talented player. He was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 1989 NFL draft.

Massey played professionally as a cornerback for five different teams in the National Football League (NFL) from 1989 to 1997. A famous wide receiver, Michael Irvin, even said that Robert Massey was the toughest cornerback he ever played against! Massey was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1992, which is a special game for the best players in the NFL. He played college football at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.

Robert Massey's Playing Career

Robert Massey was a professional football player. He played as a cornerback. A cornerback is a defensive player. Their main job is to stop the other team's wide receivers. They try to prevent catches and tackle players.

NFL Teams Massey Played For

Massey was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1989. He played for them for two years. After that, he played for several other NFL teams:

• New Orleans Saints (1989–1990)
• Phoenix Cardinals (1991–1993)
• Detroit Lions (1994–1995)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (1996)
• New York Giants (1997)

He played in the NFL for nine seasons. He was known for his strong defense.

Massey's Achievements as a Player

Robert Massey had some great moments in his playing career.

• He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1992. This means he was one of the best players at his position in the entire NFL that year.
• He was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 1989. This honor goes to the best new players in the league.
• During his career, he made 432 tackles.
• He also had 14 interceptions. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player.
• He recovered 5 fumbles. A fumble is when a player drops the ball.

Robert Massey's Coaching Career

After his playing days, Robert Massey became a football coach. He has coached at both the high school and college levels. He has held many different coaching roles.

Early Coaching Roles

Massey started his coaching career in 1998. He was an assistant defensive backs coach for the New York Giants. This was the same team he played for in his last NFL season.

Later, he coached at Hillside High School in North Carolina. He was the head coach there from 2001 to 2002.

College Coaching Positions

Massey then moved to college football coaching.

• He coached at his old college, North Carolina Central University. He was the wide receivers coach in 2003. Then he became the defensive backs coach in 2004.
• From 2005 to 2006, he was the interim head coach at Livingstone College in North Carolina.
• He then joined Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was the defensive backs coach from 2007 to 2009.
• At Shaw, he also became the defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2011.
• From 2012 to 2015, he served as the head coach for Shaw University.

Current Coaching Role

Since 2016, Robert Massey has been coaching at Winston-Salem State University.

• From 2016 to 2018, he was the associate head coach. He also coached defensive backs and special teams.
• In 2019, he became the head football coach for Winston-Salem State University. He holds this position today.

As a head coach in college, his overall record is 37 wins and 72 losses.