Vance Bedford facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1958 Beaumont, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1977–1981 | Texas |
| 1982 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1984 | San Antonio Gunslingers |
| 1984 | Oklahoma Outlaws |
| Position(s) | Cornerback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1985 | Forest Brook (TX) HS (assistant) |
| 1986 | Navarro (assistant) |
| 1987–1992 | Colorado State (DB) |
| 1993–1994 | Oklahoma State (DB) |
| 1995–1998 | Michigan (DB) |
| 1999–2004 | Chicago Bears (DB) |
| 2005–2006 | Oklahoma State (DC) |
| 2007 | Michigan (DB) |
| 2008–2009 | Florida (DB) |
| 2010–2013 | Louisville (DC) |
| 2014–2016 | Texas (DC) |
Vance Juano Bedford, born on August 20, 1958, is a well-known American football coach. He used to be the defensive coordinator for the University of Texas at Austin. He worked there under head coach Charlie Strong. Before becoming a coach, he also played professional football. He played as a defensive back in both the NFL and the USFL.
Early Life
Vance Bedford was born in Beaumont, Texas. He played high school football at Hebert High School. His father, Leon Bedford, was his coach there. Vance was an "all-District" player, meaning he was one of the best in his area. His high school was the first all-black high school in Texas to win a state championship from the University Interscholastic League.
College Football Career
Bedford played college football at the University of Texas at Austin. He was a four-year "letterman," which means he played on the varsity team for four years. He was a starting cornerback and the defensive captain. He was chosen twice for the All-Southwest Conference second team. This means he was recognized as one of the top players in his college conference.
He played in two Cotton Bowls and two Sun Bowls, which are big college football games. In 1981, he set a record for the Longhorns with 22 "pass breakups." A pass breakup happens when a defensive player stops a pass from reaching the receiver. He is still one of the top ten players at UT for career pass breakups, with 47. After his senior year, he was named the Defensive Valuable Player in the 1982 Senior Bowl All-Star Game. He went back to Texas in 1984 to get his college diploma.
Professional Playing Career
In 1982, the St. Louis Cardinals picked Vance Bedford in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL draft. He played one season for the Cardinals. He spent most of that time on the "injured reserve list" because of a knee injury. This meant he couldn't play in games. He was only active for two regular season games and one playoff game. He did not record any statistics in those games.
After not playing in the 1983 season, he joined the United States Football League (USFL). In 1984, he played one game for the San Antonio Gunslingers and one game for the Oklahoma Outlaws. Again, he missed games because of injuries. At the end of 1984, the Arizona Outlaws drafted him, but he never played for them.
Coaching Career
Vance Bedford has had a long and successful coaching career. Before coaching at the University of Texas, he was the defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville. He also worked under head coach Charlie Strong there.
Before Louisville, he was a defensive back coach at the University of Florida. He worked for coach Urban Meyer at Florida. He also coached at the University of Michigan under coach Lloyd Carr. Bedford also spent six seasons coaching defensive backs for the Chicago Bears, a professional team in the NFL. He was also the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater for two seasons.
