Former Bengals offseason hero is working with the team again to be a different kind of long shot in football
Damion Willis made a name for himself with the Cincinnati Bengals at the very beginning of his short NFL playing career. He’s now trying to make it as an NFL coach thanks to a program launched by a former Bengals coach.
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Damion Willis was among the coaches working Wednesday’s voluntary workout practice.
Willis is an assistant coach at Georgia Southern University and is part of this year’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Willis made a name for himself as part of Zac Taylor‘s first Bengals team in 2019. Then a rookie undrafted free agent, Willis fought his way onto the 53-man roster and ended up starting the first two games of that season while A.J. Green was sidelined with injury. He ended up catching nine passes for 82 yards in 10 games played for Cincinnati, and never played another game.
He had just as many receptions, 36 more yards, and a touchdown in just three preseason contests.
The offseason is when Willis turned heads. He needed to shine in training camp and the preseason in order to beat the odds. Now, because of a former Bengals coach, he’s getting another chance at the next phase of his football life.
What is the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship?
The program’s objective, per the official NFL page, is to “use NFL clubs’ training camps, offseason workout programs and minicamps to give talented coaches opportunities to observe, participate, gain experience, and ultimately gain a full-time NFL coaching position.” It has existed for over 30 years.
Walsh is best known for being the San Francisco 49ers head coach from 1979-1988, a run that featured three Super Bowl rings for the franchise. Before he became a Hall of Famer for his time in the Bay Area, he was a member of the Bengals’ original coaching staff. He started out as the wide receivers coach from 1968-1970 before taking over as quarterbacks coach from 1971-1975. These were the days Cincinnati was running the West Coast offense with QB Ken Anderson before anyone else thanks to Walsh’s influence.
It didn’t take long for Walsh to elevate himself as a coach. 50 years later, Willis is trying to do the same thanks to career Walsh had.