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Notes: Detroit Lions filling coaching positions with young former players

Recently retired veterans like Leon Washington are taking the next step in their football careers.

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New York Jets v Tennessee Titans Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Mike Rothstein at ESPN wrote a solid piece Thursday on former players bringing their experience and knowledge to the Detroit Lions as young coaches. The former players on the current Detroit staff mentioned are:

Former defensive back Steve Gregory, who recovered the infamous butt-fumble, joined the organization as a defensive assistant in March 2018

Former pro center Hank Fraley, recently an offensive line coach at UCLA, became an offensive line assistant coach for the Lions in February 2018

Former guard Billy Yates, a participant in the William Clay Ford Minority Coaching Assistantship program since March 2018

Former running back Leon Washington, who was brought on as the 2019 participant in the WCF program this past March

If you’ve wondered what it takes to make it in the demanding world of professional football coaching, this is a fantastic window into the tremendous work put in by Detroit’s coaches.

And now, on with the rest of today’s Notes:

  • Quandre Diggs is already a hell of a safety, and he now seizes the mantle of being the newest dad on the team:

  • Pro Football Focus noted yet again how good Darius Slay is, this time with PBUs. Phenomenal reflexes no doubt honed by practice against a quarterback who throws with so much velocity that it can break a finger:

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