Did Pete Carroll Play In The NFL?
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Many people are curious about Pete Carroll’s background and whether he played in the NFL. The answer is no, Pete Carroll did not play in the NFL. However, he did have a successful career as a college football coach before becoming the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Who is Pete Carroll?
Pete Carroll is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to his coaching career, Carroll had a brief stint as a professional football player, but he did not see much playing time.
Pete Carroll’s College Football Career
Pete Carroll has had a long and successful career in college football. He began his coaching career at the University of the Pacific in 1973. He then moved on to assistant coaching positions at Iowa State University and the University of Arkansas. In 1977, he became the defensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh. He then moved on to become the head coach at Ohio State University in 1983. In 1984, he returned to Pittsburgh to become the head coach of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1985, he became the head coach of the New York Jets. In 1986, he became the head coach of the USC Trojans. He has coached at USC for 16 seasons, winning 6 national championships and 7 conference championships.
Pete Carroll’s NFL Career
Pete Carroll had a very brief NFL playing career, appearing in just one game for the New England Patriots in 1977. He was primarily a special teams player during his time with the Patriots, and did not see any action on offense or defense. After being cut by the Patriots, Carroll spent a few weeks with the Seattle Seahawks, but was again cut before the start of the season. He then decided to focus on his coaching career, which would eventually lead him to great success at both the college and professional level.
Did Pete Carroll Play In The NFL?
Few know that Pete Carroll actually played in the NFL for a brief time. Carroll was drafted in the 10th round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He appeared in one game for the Patriots, returning two kickoffs for 19 yards.
Pete Carroll’s College Football Career
Pete Carroll was born in San Francisco, California, in 1951. Carroll played football and baseball in high school. After high school, Carroll attended the University of the Pacific, where he played wide receiver on the football team. Carroll transferred to the University of Arkansas after his junior year, and played for the Razorbacks for his senior season.
Carroll began his coaching career at the University of Iowa as a graduate assistant in 1977. Carroll then became a defensive backs coach at Syracuse University. In 1983, Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Carroll returned to Iowa State in 1984 as the defensive backs coach.
In 1985, Carroll was hired as the head coach of the NCAA Division III New York Jets. In 1987, Carroll became the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. In 1988, Carroll returned to college coaching as the defensive coordinator for Ohio State University. In 1990, Carroll became the head coach at Boston College.
Pete Carroll’s NFL Career
Seventh-round draft picks don’t usually go on to have successful NFL careers. In fact, most of them never even make it to the active roster of an NFL team. But Pete Carroll is not most seventh-round draft picks. Carroll was drafted in the 1984 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, but he was cut before the season started. He then spent a couple of seasons on the practice squad of the New York Jets before finally getting his chance to play in 1987. He played for the Jets for four seasons, mostly as a backup, before being released in 1991.
