DeSean Jackson, Delaware State hire Clinton Portis as running back coach

DeSean Jackson is preparing for his first year as the head coach of the Delaware State Hornets. And on Wednesday, he decided to bring in yet another NFL great to join his staff. Former Miami Hurricanes star Clinton Portis is joining the DSU staff as their running backs coach, according to a post on his Instagram page.

Portis was a dominant player for the Miami Hurricanes, on what is well known as one of the most loaded rosters in college football history (the 2001 team specifically). He finished his career there with 440 carries for 2,523 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. As a receiver, he had 21 catches for 272 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Portis rushed for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2001, propelling the Hurricanes to the top of the college football world. They mercilessly throttled Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl, cementing their status as one of the greatest college football teams of all-time. The 2001 Hurricanes’ roster produced 17 first-round NFL Draft picks. Miami finished with the third-ranked offense in the country and the top-ranked defense.

Portis enjoyed an even more successful career in the National Football League, where he started off his career with four straight 1,300-yard rushing seasons. In three of those, including his rookie year, he finished with over 1,500 yards. Portis brought home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2002, after he had 273 attempts for 1,508 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. As a receiver, he hauled in 33 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns. His first two seasons, Portis played for the Denver Broncos, before moving onto the Washington Redskins in 2004.

With the Redskins, Portis once again shined, racking up four seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards in seven years. That’s including the 2005 season when he had his best rushing yardage total with Washington, finishing with 1,516 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, his best season came in 2007, when he hauled in 47 catches for 389 receiving yards.

His last two seasons with the Redskins (2009 and 2010), he only finished with just over 700 rushing yards combined, but his mark had been made as one of the more prolific backs in league history. He wrapped up his impressive career with 9,923 rushing yards and 75 touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, he had 247 receptions with 2,018 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Portis currently ranks 33rd on the NFL’s all-time rushing yardage list, putting him ahead of Matt Forte but behind Ricky Williams.

In addition to earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Portis was named to the Pro Bowl twice (2003 and 2008).