Jedd Fisch recalls the NFL general manager origin story of college roommate Howie Roseman

Flashback to the late 1990s in Gainesville, FL, with Steve Spurrier running Florida. The Gators were one of the best in all of college football at the time, fresh off a national championship in 1996. But little did we know, two brilliant football minds were in the same city but not associated with the Florida program at all.

As he told On3’s Andy Staples, Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch was college roommates with Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. From the very beginning, both of them wanted to work in football. And how they found out about each other’s goals unfolded one year during the NFL Draft.

“I don’t know if we thought it would become reality,” Fisch said. “We were roommates. I remember that first spring we were living together, it was the NFL Draft. He walks down with a clipboard and two folders on the day of the draft. I’m in like boxer shorts and a t-shirt, hanging out on the couch being like ‘It’s NFL Draft day, this should be fun.’ If he could have put on a suit, I think he would have.

“He walks down there and he’s ready for the draft. And I say ‘What are you doing?’ He said ‘Hey, it’s draft day. This is a big day.’ This guy was dialed in on every pick, who the Jets were taking, what they should have done. I said ‘What are you doing?’ He said ‘I’m going to be an NFL GM.'”

Fisch went on to tell Roseman he wanted to be a college head coach, where both responded to each other in a skeptical tone. Turns out, they both accomplished their goals and have even crossed paths throughout the years.

When Fisch spent time in the NFL, he coached against rosters Roseman had constructed. Unfortunately for Fisch, he does not have the best head-to-head record against his former college roommate, losing in both of their matchups.

“Low and behold, we wind up coaching against each other,” Fisch said. “I was the offensive coordinator of the Jags, he was the GM of the Eagles. When I was at the Rams as the assistant offensive coordinator, we’re playing against each other on Monday Night Football… It’s been an amazing run.”

To this point, Roseman has not selected any players coached under Jedd Fisch. Whether it’s from spells at Michigan, UCLA, or now the head coach at Arizona. Roseman has been drafting heavily out of the SEC in recent years.

But when the time comes, for the Eagles to select a Wildcats player, it will all come full circle from enjoying the NFL Draft together on a couch in Gainesville.