On Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced they were adding two former players to their coaching staff. Former running back Denard Robinson will take over as the team's offensive quality control coach while former linebacker Tony Gilbert will serve as Jacksonville's assistant linebackers coach.
Robinson, who is a Deerfield Beach, Florida native, was drafted by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He will be remembered as one of the most dynamic collegiate offensive weapons in recent memory, as the Wolverines' mobile quarterback was a two-time First-team All-Big Ten player and won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award in 2010. Robinson played four seasons in Jacksonville and recorded 1,058 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 263 carries. According to the Jaguars, Robinson will assist offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and the coaching staff in all areas of practice and game preparation.
As for Gilbert, the University of Georgia product was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, the Jaguars signed Gilbert off of the Cardinals' practice squad and he played on the Jags' defense from 2003-06. Since retiring in 2010, Gilbert has held various positions coaching in the collegiate ranks, including stints at Georgia, Auburn, East Mississippi Community College, Georgia Military College, John Milledge Academy, North Carolina and UCF. According to the team, Gilbert, along with Linebackers Coach Mark Collins, will oversee the team's linebacking corps.
In four seasons with the Jaguars and one season with the Atlanta Falcons, Gilbert recorded 47 combined tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. After hanging up the cleats, he jumped directly into coaching -- serving as Georgia's assistant strength and conditioning coach for a year before moving up the ranks to assistant linebacker coach and defensive graduate assistant with Auburn the following year.
