Former Bengals fan favorite player set to become the latest NFL veteran to coach under Deion Sanders at Colorado
Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko is set to become the new defensive line coach for the Colorado football program. Peke Nakos of On3 reports that Colorado will hire Peko, whom was at the team's practice Tuesday. Peko was originally a fourth-round pick of the Bengals during the 2006 NFL Draft as part of […]
Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko is set to become the new defensive line coach for the Colorado football program.
Peke Nakos of On3 reports that Colorado will hire Peko, whom was at the team's practice Tuesday.
Peko was originally a fourth-round pick of the Bengals during the 2006 NFL Draft as part of a renowned class that featured future Pro Bowlers Johnathan Joseph and Andrew Whitworth. Peko never achieved that level of acclaim with the Bengals, but he did play 11 seasons in Cincinnati and was one of the most popular players on the team. Fans still recall when he'd pull off "The Belly Dance" after every big play he caused.
Most of Peko's time with the Bengals was spent when Mike Zimmer was the defensive coordinator. Zimmer was the DC of the Dallas Cowboys this past season and hired Peko as an assistant to help coach the defensive line. Peko will now take that experience and put it to use for the Buffaloes.
Peko played four more years in the NFL after his run with the Bengals ended, including two years with the Denver Broncos from 2017-18, so he's familiar with the area he'll be moving back to.
Colorado, led by head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has made a habit of hiring notable NFL names to Sanders' staff. "Coach Prime" tabbed fellow Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to be the Buffs' running backs coach earlier this month. Another Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp, is reportedly getting a promotion after he handled senior quality control analyst duties last year. Former six-year NFL veteran Phil Loadholt spent the 2024 season as the Buffs' offensive line coach and now holds the same title for Mississippi State.
Could that promotion lead Sapp to working with Peko along the defensive line? It would make a ton of sense. Sapp was one of the most accomplished interior pass-rushers of his time while Peko earned his keep by plugging gaps in the run game. Their complementary backgrounds would go well together as coaches.
Peko will not be the only coach on staff with a connection to the Bengals. Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was previously Cincinnati's safeties coach from 2018-2023. He started as a scout from 2012-14 and made the transition to the coaching staff in 2015, so he was actually a coach while Peko was still on the roster. Now he'll have Peko as one of his top assistants.
Joe Burrow sets stern expectations for the Bengals’ defense under new defensive coordinator Al Golden
“We don’t have time to wait around.”
