Buccaneers: College football team targeting Byron Leftwich
By Rob Leeds
A return to a familiar place
Before he was a coach, Leftwich led a successful career as a backup quarterback in the NFL. Playing for teams like the Buccaneers and Falcons too, Leftwich was a first-round pick for the Jaguars and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. All of this began with an explosive college career at Marshall.
After lighting the MAC on fire with a high-powered offense, Leftwich was never able to find the same success in the NFL, but his college legacy remains. Now, his old college team wants him back.
According to 247Sports on Twitter, Marshall wants Leftwich to occupy their head coaching vacancy. On paper, this makes perfect sense for both parties. Marshall is a proud school, and bringing in a young head coach that is closely tied to the college could help with recruiting and serve as a springboard for Leftwich’s career.
Young coaches have a way of relating to recruits, especially coaches that lit up the field so recently at the same school. While he hasn’t coached at the college level yet, Leftwich could be a perfect fit if he takes a chance.
This would leave the Buccaneers searching for a new offensive coordinator, but Leftwich could see college as his next step. Tampa Bay should remain a favorable free-agent destination for players and coaches, so finding a replacement shouldn’t be too difficult.