As the 2021 NFL season starts tonight, Eastern Illinois football will once again find itself represented with former Panthers on the field, on the sidelines, in the front office and in the broadcast booth. EIU opens the season with eight former players in those roles with another six former EIU assistant coaches working for NFL teams this season.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo enters his eighth season in the NFL and fourth with the San Francisco 49ers. Garoppolo won a pair of Super Bowls (XLIX and LI) as Tom Brady's backup with the Patriots, before being traded to the 49ers in the middle of the 2017 season. Two years ago he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl where the team lost to Kansas City. The 2013 Walter Payton Award winner as the FCS National Player of the Year, is 26-9 as a starter in the NFL (including 2-1 in the Playoffs). He played in only six games last year before suffering an injury.
Garoppolo's former EIU teammate Kamu Grugier-Hill begins his sixth NFL season and first with the Houston Texans after previously playing one year with Miami and four years with Philadelphia, where he was part of the Super Bowl LII Championship team. He has tallied 118 tackles over the past four seasons.
Sean Payton, the former EIU standout, is entering his 15th season as the head coach with the New Orleans Saints. Payton has 143 career wins as a head coach including leading the Saints to the Super Bowl XLIV Championship. In 14 previous seasons with the Saints, Payton has guided the team into the NFL playoffs nine times.
Ryan Pace enters his seventh season as the general manager of the Chicago Bears. Pace's teams have made the NFL playoffs twice including the 2018 season when he was named the Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year.
Former EIU and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will again be on the top CBS NFL broadcast team working with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz. Romo was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame and will be inducted this year.
Former EIU defensive lineman Tim Kelly enters his seventh season working with the Houston Texans coaching staff and third season as the team's offensive coordinator.
Nick Kray works as the chief of staff for coaching for the San Francisco 49ers and Stephen Bravo-Brown is a defensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns.
EIU has six former assistant coaches that now work in the NFL with Clancy Barone (Chicago Bears / Tight Ends), Bobby Babich (Buffalo Bills / Safeties), Matt Smiley (Buffalo Bills / Asst. Special Teams), Michael Hodges (New Orleans Saints / Linebackers), Nick Caley (New England Patriots / Tight Ends) and Demarcus Covington (New England Patriots / Defensive Line).
