Jason Witten collegiate coaching

[kcvols1]

Unpopular fact: Jason Whitten invented Cool WhipView attachment 418044

Wrong. That was Whill Wheaton.

 

[VolPack22]

My favorite Cowboy and one of my favorite Vols, but lets pump the breaks here. Let the man prove he can coach first before we go making room and making changes to UT's current staff. UT doesn't just need to hand out coaching gigs to a anyone that played there.

Didn’t he help groom Schultz?

 

[JRich]

Didn’t he help groom Schultz?

They were only together for one year, so I don't know how much grooming occurred. Schultz's second year was the one year Witten came back from MNF, then he went to LV the following year. Gavin Escobar (2nd round pick in 2013) was supposed to be the "next Witten" but I remember reading an article that Witten had stated that it wasn't his job to coach, teach, or groom young players. He said that was the job of the staff and that he had to compete against these guys so why help them. I think he maintained that attitude most of his career, although it may have changed late.

He seems like a nice enough guy that he maybe gave some tips or pointers, though, I would imagine.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

This. One thing Saban and now Kirby has done is taken a lot of coaches and given them analyst or assistant roles. For me, it would be no brainer for Heupel to atleast have a sit down with J Wit and even Coach Cut to see if they have any interest in analyst or coaching roles... I'd love to have Cut on staff in a non recruiting, coaching role for QB's.

This. One thing Saban and now Kirby has done is taken a lot of coaches and given them analyst or assistant roles. For me, it would be no brainer for Heupel to atleast have a sit down with J Wit and even Coach Cut to see if they have any interest in analyst or coaching roles... I'd love to have Cut on staff in a non recruiting, coaching role for QB's.

I gave you a "like" for the idea, however, I don't think it really works that way. Heupel's offense is very different and specific. I don't think Cut would care to learn new tricks at this point in life.

 

[VolPack22]

They were only together for one year, so I don't know how much grooming occurred. Schultz's second year was the one year Witten came back from MNF, then he went to LV the following year. Gavin Escobar (2nd round pick in 2013) was supposed to be the "next Witten" but I remember reading an article that Witten had stated that it wasn't his job to coach, teach, or groom young players. He said that was the job of the staff and that he had to compete against these guys so why help them. I think he maintained that attitude most of his career, although it may have changed late.

He seems like a nice enough guy that he maybe gave some tips or pointers, though, I would imagine.

Maybe he did change because this was an article from USA Today back in October:

It’s been quite a learning curve for Schultz. Drafted after the sudden retirement of Cowboys legend Jason Witten, Schultz found himself jumping from third-stringer to starter after Geoff Swaim got hurt and Blake Jarwin struggled. Then Witten came back, and Schultz was demoted just as quickly to a backup role. But he used the opportunity to apprentice at the feet of a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

He says Witten’s lessons still seep into his mind every single day.

“It’s more in how I emulate my day-to-day,” he explained. “I try to go about my day just like he went about his. Having that year with him was awesome: just to see how he was able to carry himself, how he approached a game plan, how he was able to watch film on these days: your game plan goes in here, here’s what you should watch on Wednesday, here’s how you should approach a Thursday. All that stuff was very helpful for somebody that was going on Year Two in the league… Him coming back ended up being one of the biggest helps to my mindset, and I learned a lot from him. I ended up here and I’m having good success, and I feel like a lot of that may came from that year.”

 

[WBO]

But my question is, is that would he even do that, being a VFL for life? To me, I don’t think he would even consider coming to an SEC team besides Knoxville. I could be wrong, but I think he would be better off to come here and start slowly learning.

Good thought but there have been a lot of VFLs coaching around the SEC. You need some diversity in your background. Also, while I think all involved have reconciled, you have to remember the coaches were so mad at only getting one productive year (remember, he left a year early) out of Witten after spending a lot of time converting him from DE to TE, that they trashed him to the NFL scouts. That is why he dropped to the 3rd round. He was furious with Fulmer over the money that cost him.

 

[ptcarter]

Wonder how well Witten knows Danny White?

I thought it was Danny Wite.

 

[JRich]

Maybe he did change because this was an article from USA Today back in October:

It’s been quite a learning curve for Schultz. Drafted after the sudden retirement of Cowboys legend Jason Witten, Schultz found himself jumping from third-stringer to starter after Geoff Swaim got hurt and Blake Jarwin struggled. Then Witten came back, and Schultz was demoted just as quickly to a backup role. But he used the opportunity to apprentice at the feet of a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

He says Witten’s lessons still seep into his mind every single day.

“It’s more in how I emulate my day-to-day,” he explained. “I try to go about my day just like he went about his. Having that year with him was awesome: just to see how he was able to carry himself, how he approached a game plan, how he was able to watch film on these days: your game plan goes in here, here’s what you should watch on Wednesday, here’s how you should approach a Thursday. All that stuff was very helpful for somebody that was going on Year Two in the league… Him coming back ended up being one of the biggest helps to my mindset, and I learned a lot from him. I ended up here and I’m having good success, and I feel like a lot of that may came from that year.”

Yeah, I wan’t there, obviously, but that kind of reads like he just watched and observed Witten on how a professional handles the week/season/day to day, not necessarily that Witten “took him under his wing” so to speak or coached him. Just my take. Definitely sounds like he had a positive impact on him, though.