[media-credit name=”weberstatesports.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]For the third consecutive year, ex-NFL cornerback and Utah native Andre Dyson returns as cornerbacks coach for the Weber State University football team.
Dyson played in the NFL for seven seasons, from 2001 to 2007. When he retired in 2008, head coach Ron McBride asked assistant head coach Matt Hammer to reach out to the University of Utah alum to see if he was interested in a coaching position.
“I said, get a hold of Dyson and see if he was interested in coaching.” McBride said.
Dyson was brought on as a part-time coach at first, and he has proven to be a valuable asset to the team. This was not the first time that McBride has worked with Dyson. McBride was responsible for recruiting Dyson to play for the University of Utah in the late 1990s.
While at the U of U, Dyson was named to the Second Team All-Mountain West Conference and tied for the conference lead in interceptions.
After graduating from the U of U, Dyson was able to have a successful career in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2001 drafted him. In his rookie year, he was the first rookie to lead the team in interceptions since 1964.
After playing four years with the Titans, he made his way to the Seattle Seahawks and played in the Super Bowl. He finished his career with the New York Jets in 2007. In his career, he played in 96 games, making 282 tackles, 22 interceptions, and scoring 5 defensive touchdowns.
McBride has stated that he is really excited this year to have Dyson coaching in a larger role.
For Coach Dyson, the transition from player to coach has been a big change. He says that the hardest thing for him as a coach is to get the players to think in the same mindset as he does.
“I struggle with trying to understand they are not me,” Dyson said. “They are not going to do it how I do it, see it how I see it.”
Dyson also said that it is very different between playing in college and playing in the NFL. He says that in college football, you aren’t under as much pressure, whereas in the NFL, you are under greater scrutiny to perform at a high level. He said that he is looking forward to the upcoming year and has high expectations for the team.
“I’m expecting big things from us. . . every year the team has a chance of winning, and every year, whether I’m a coach or a player, I think my team is going to win. I’d be lying if I said different.”
Coach Dyson will join the team on their trip to Laramie, Wyoming when the Wildcats start off their season against the University of Wyoming Cowboys on September 3 at 7:00. The last time the Cowboys and the Wildcats faced off against each other was at their 2009 home opener in Laramie when the Wildcats lost a close game to the Cowboys, 29-22.