Oftentimes when teams utilize the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship program, they're searching for young minority coaches that can offer the organization something as an assistant. That is what the Chicago Bears did last year and have done several times in the past. Upon hearing the announcement of new arrivals this year, it was expected they might be aiming higher than usual. Among the names included on their list of invitees was running back legend Eddie George.
The former Heisman winner and Pro Bowler was an unexpected name that got people excited. Were the Bears seeking to infuse their coaching staff with a little more playing experience? Not exactly. It turns out their intentions were different this time around. According to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune, George explained that the Bears reached out to him and other head coaches from lower levels with an opportunity to join Organized Team Activities. The idea was to help them learn various tactics and strategies utilized by an NFL staff that could be applied to the college ranks.
George couldn't resist the opportunity.
Nine days into his stint, George had been all over the Bears facility, not just participating in football meetings and practices but consulting with support staff and even picking the brain of Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren. George’s goal is to gather strategies from throughout the organization to bring back to Tennessee State, where he enters his third year as head coach...
...When Bears running backs coach David Walker reached out to ask George to apply, noting the Bears specifically were looking to do something for head coaches, George didn’t want to pass up the learning opportunity.
Eddie George is trying to build something.
He accepted the head coaching job at Tennessee State in 2021. While the program took a step forward over the past two years, it's still looking for its first winning record since 2017 and first playoff run since 2013. George is a Tennessee icon from his days with the Titans. He felt like the perfect choice to breathe some life into that program. However, there was a problem. For all his experience on the field, he has little when it comes to coaching. He basically took that job with zero track record.
That is why accepting chances to learn from an NFL veteran like Matt Eberflus makes plenty of sense. At the same time, he can impart some of his wisdom as a great running back to the next generation, like Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. It is a win-win situation. While Eddie George may not join the Bears coaching staff, it is still a cool gesture by the organization to give the guy a chance to prepare kids in college for their own opportunities at the pro level.
