As football season kicks off with games and practices ranging from Pee Wee football to the National Football League, Eastern Illinois enters its second week of practice as the Panthers prepare for the season opener on Sept. 3 at Western Illinois. While many of the young men playing football at the collegiate level one day dream of suiting up in the NFL, the Panthers have one coach on their staff who can give a detailed account of how hard achieving that dream can actually be.
Dennis 'Dirt' Winston enters his second season as the defensive line coach on the EIU football coaching staff. A former college player at Arkansas, Winston had a long and successful career playing for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints from 1977-86. He has a couple of Super Bowl rings to his name as part of the famed 'Steel Curtain" defense with the Pittsburgh Steelers including a start in the Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Coach Winston sat down and reflected on some of the great players he played with and against and as you will see, many are household names for NFL fans. Winston is currently one of two Ohio Valley Conference assistant coaches that have appeared in an NFL game.
Top Five Players You Played With In The NFL
"Mean" Joe Greene – NFL Hall of Famer with Pittsburgh Steelers
Jack Lambert – NFL Hall of Famer with Pittsburgh Steelers
Jack Ham – NFL Hall of Famer with Pittsburgh Steelers
Mel Blount – NFL Hall of Famer with Pittsburgh Steelers
Rickey Jackson – NFL Hall of Famer with New Orleans Saints
Top Five Players You Played Against In The NFL
Conrad Dobler – Offensive Lineman Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Cardinals
Reggie McKenzie – Offensive Lineman Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks
Gene Upshaw – Offensive Lineman Oakland Raiders
Anthony Munoz – Offensive Lineman Cincinnati Bengals
Art Shell – Offensive Lineman Oakland Raiders
Top Personal Game As NFL Player
Nov. 19, 1984 – First home Monday Night Football Game for New Orleans Saints as they hosted Pittsburgh Steelers. Intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown which won the game against former team
Most Memorable Game As NFL Player
Playing as the starting outside linebacker in the 1979 Super Bowl Win over the Los Angeles Rams. Pittsburgh won 31-19
Rival You Most Looked Forward To Playing In The NFL
Houston Oilers of the 1970's (Love You Blue) with head coach O.A. "Bum" Phillips
As A College Coach Top 5 Players You Coached
Jonathan Babineaux (at Port Arthur Lincoln HS / played at Iowa) – professional career with Atlanta Falcons
Jordan Babineaux (at Port Arthur Lincoln HS / played at Southern Arkansas) – professional career with Seattle Seahawks
Carlos Hall (at Arkansas) – professional career with Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs
Quentin Caver (at Arkansas) – professional career with Philadelphia Eagles
Carlos Emmons (at Arkansas State) – professional career with Pittsburgh Steelers
Brandon Thrumond (at Arkansas Pine Bluff) – led FCS in sacks in 2012
Current Ohio Valley Conference Coaches With NFL Game Experience
Eastern Illinois – Dennis 'Dirt' Winston (played with Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints from 1977-86)
Tennessee State – Jeff Parker (played with Tampa Bay Bucs in 1992)
