E. J. Junior

Last updated

E. J. Junior
No. 54, 53, 50, 93
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1959-12-08) December 8, 1959 (age 64)
Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Maplewood Comprehensive
(Nashville, Tennessee)
College: Alabama (1977–1980)
NFL draft: 1981  / round: 1 / pick: 5
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
As a player
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:36.5
Interceptions:12
Interception yards:186
Fumble recoveries:7
Defensive touchdowns:1
Head coaching record
Career:9–45 (.167)
Player stats at PFR

Ester James Junior III (born December 8, 1959) is an American former football player and coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, from 1981 to 1993, with the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Seattle Seahawks. Junior played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he played as a defensive end and earned consensus selection to the 1980 College Football All-America Team. He was selected by the Cardinals in the first round with the fifth overall pick of the 1981 NFL draft. Junior served as the head football coach at Central State University from 2009 to 2013. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2020.

Contents

Early years and family

Junior was born in Salisbury, North Carolina and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He and his wife, Yolanda, have eight children: Shandon Hood, Torren Hood, Ashley James, Adam J. Junior, Aja J Junior, E.J. Junior IV, Kyle E. Junior, and Cameron M. Junior. [1]

Playing career

College

Junior attended the University of Alabama, where he played for coach Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 1977 to 1980, wearing jersey number 39. In the 1979 opener against Georgia Tech, he returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown. He finished the season with 5 sacks, 52 tackles, and a blocked punt. As a senior in 1980, he produced 71 tackles and blocked a field goal. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.

Junior was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at Alabama.

Professional

The St. Louis Cardinals chose Junior in the first round (fifth pick overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft, and he played for Cardinals from 1981 to 1988. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection for the Cardinals in 1984 and 1985. He subsequently played for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.

Coaching career

Since leaving the NFL, Junior has been the executive director of youth programs in Miami under the NBA's Alonzo Mourning. He also spent time back in the NFL as a coach and in the front office. He was the Seattle Seahawks linebacker coach in 1994 and then was the director of player development programs for the Miami Dolphins from 1996 to 1998. He has been a minority intern coach for the Minnesota Vikings (2003) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2005) and coached in NFL Europe for the Rhein Fire in Düsseldorf, Germany. On the college setting, he coached the linebackers at the East–West Shrine Bowl in 2005 and 200 .

From 2006 to 2009, Junior was the linebackers coach at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in February 2009, but left a month later to become head coach at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. [2] From 2015 to 2017, he was the defensive line coach at Delaware State University. [3]

Honors

In May 2012, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and into the Tennessee Hall of Fame 2010. He made the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame in 2007. Junior was nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016 but fell short in votes. He was again nominated in June 2017. On March 11, 2020, the College Football Hall of Fame announced the Junior as a member of the 2020 class of inductees.

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Central State Marauders (Great Lakes Football Conference)(2009)
2009 Central State1–101–24th
Central State Marauders (NCAA Division II independent)(2010–2011)
2010 Central State1–10
2011 Central State1–10
Central State Marauders (Great Lakes Valley Conference)(2012)
2012 Central State4–74–45th
Central State Marauders (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(2013)
2013 Central State2–82–3T–3rd (West)
Central State:9–457–9
Total:9–45

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Thomas</span> American football player (1967–2000)

Derrick Vincent Thomas, nicknamed "D. T.", was an American professional football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest pass rushers of all time, he played 11 seasons with the Chiefs until his death in 2000. Thomas played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he won the Butkus Award, and was selected fourth overall by Kansas City in the 1989 NFL draft. During his career, he received nine Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro selections, and set the single-game sacks record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Thomas</span> American football player (born 1973)

Zachary Michael Thomas is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick, in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Dilfer</span> American football player, analyst and coach (born 1972)

Trent Farris Dilfer is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the UAB Blazers football team. Dilfer previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Harris (cornerback)</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Alshinard Harris is an American professional football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Harris played as a cornerback for 14 seasons in the NFL from 1998 to 2011. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and St. Louis Rams. He was selected for the Pro Bowl after his 2007 and 2008 seasons in Green Bay. The AP also named him a second-team All-Pro in 2007.

The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants, 34–7, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Baumhower</span> American football player (born 1955)

Robert Glenn Baumhower is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide under coach Bear Bryant from 1973 to 1976 and professionally for Miami under coach Don Shula. He later became a restaurateur.

Lawrence Edward Foote Jr. is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the pass game coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Foote was a college football All-American for the Michigan Wolverines, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He also played briefly for the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals. In total, Foote played in the NFL as a linebacker for 13 seasons and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Jim Bates is a former American football coach in the National Football League (NFL), most recently serving as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He primarily ran a 4–3 scheme, using fast, undersized linebackers. Bates served as interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins during the 2004 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Smith (American football coach)</span> American football coach (born 1959)

Mike Smith is a former American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2007 to 2014. Smith has also served as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his tenure as head coach of the Falcons, Smith became the franchise's winningest head coach by number of wins in addition to being the recipient of the 2008 NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Associated Press and was also voted NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Sporting News in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Green (American football)</span> American football player (born 1959)

Hugh Donell Green is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1991. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers as a defensive end, and was recognized as a three-time consensus All-American. Green was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft, and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Volunteers football</span> Football team of the University of Tennessee

The Tennessee Volunteers football program represents the University of Tennessee (UT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide football</span> University of Alabama Football Team

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently led by Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 18 national championships, including 13 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national titles with the program. Alabama then had a dominant run under head coach Nick Saban between 2007 and 2023, resulting in six further national titles.

Winston N. Moss is an American former professional football player, coach and executive. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony McDaniel</span> American football player (born 1985)

Anthony Dewayne McDaniel is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. McDaniel was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers.

Todd Robert Bowles is an American professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. Bowles has also served as the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals and Buccaneers and as the secondary coach for the Jets, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, primarily with the Washington Redskins, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XXII.

Bernard "Tiger" Clark is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Robert Morris University, a position he has held since the 2018 season. Clark played professionally as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mitchell (American football coach)</span> American football player and coach (born 1951)

John Mitchell Jr. is a former American football coach and collegiate player. Over the course of his career, Mitchell has broken several racial barriers, one of which was being the first black player for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He served on the staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1994 until his retirement following the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Barron</span> American football player (born 1989)

Mark Barron is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was twice recognized as an All-American, and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. He was selected as a strong safety by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, where he played for two and a half seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2014, where he moved to the linebacker position. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.

The Tampa Spartans football program was an intercollegiate American football team for the University of Tampa (UT) located in Tampa, Florida, that began play in 1933. The program competed against other small college programs in the forerunner of today's NCAA Division II for almost forty years before moving to the top level of NCAA Division I as an independent in 1971. Successfully competing against top college programs as a much smaller school put an enormous strain on the university's finances, and the school decided to discontinue football after the 1974 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Quinn (American football)</span> American football coach (born 1970)

Daniel Patrick Quinn is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He has been active in the NFL since 2001, most prominently as Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2015 to 2020. His career in coaching began in college football, spent mostly with the Hofstra Pride in the late 1990s. Quinn has been a defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets, and as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, Florida Gators, and Dallas Cowboys. Prior to coaching, he competed in the hammer throw and played football at Salisbury University.

References

  1. ↑ E. J. Junior EX-DOLPHIN FATHER OF BABY BOY
  2. ↑ Junior Hired as Central State Coach Archived April 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine The Sporting News, March 14, 2009
  3. ↑ Archived December 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Delaware State Football
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.