Eric Weddle reveals surprise second career following retirement
Former NFL safety Eric Weddle, who came out of retirement this season and won a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams, has already decided on a second career: coaching.
Weddle, 37, was a former second-round pick out of Utah back in 2007, and he went on to play from 2007 until 2019 with the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams. Over those years, he was named a first-team NFL All-Pro twice, a second-team NFL All-Pro three times and he made it to six different Pro Bowl rosters, ultimately cementing his spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. But Weddle’s resume lacked one major accomplishment: a Super Bowl ring. That all changed when Weddle came out of retirement a month ago, signed again with the Los Angeles Rams and won a title.
Two years removed from football, Weddle returns and ultimately went out in style — but it came with a cost. Weddle suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the Super Bowl, an injury through which he played the remainder of the game, and helped the Rams reach their ultimate goal. Now, he’s turning to the coaching ranks for his second career. Weddle is becoming the head coach of Rancho Bernardo football, according to a Facebook post.
“It’s official! The 2022 football season will be coach McCoy’s last as the RBHS head coach. Coach McCoy has led the Broncos’ football program the past 11 seasons, and built a reputation of hard work and character. At the end of the 2022 season he will be handing the reins to Super Bowl Champ Eric Weddle, who will take over as head of the program. Eric will be joining the Bronco family this season to learn the BLUE in, BLUE out culture,” the post said. “Coach McCoy plans to remain on staff and support Coach Weddle in the upcoming years. LET’S BE GREAT!!”
Weddle had previously been working as an assistant coach at Rancho Bernardo’s 12-and-under football team, an experience that former Rancho Bernardo head coach Don Jorgenson said helped his case.
“He brought in this playbook that was straight from the NFL,” Don Jorgenson said. “Our offensive plays, our defensive plays and, you know — I’m not as experienced as some of the other coaches, but they were all saying, ‘This is never gonna work. Never gonna work.’ He proved everyone wrong.”
Weddle may now be retired from the NFL, but should his high school coaching career go as planned, perhaps he’ll be back one day in a coaching role of some sort.