The Jaguars are hosting two college assistant coaches during this year's training camp as part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program. The two visiting coaches who are spending the three-and-a-half weeks of training camp working with the Jaguars' coaches are Jason Swepson from Northeastern University and Robert C. Talley from Dartmouth.
"For the fourth year in a row, we have a chance to host two excellent young coaches during training camp," said Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin. "These young men gain experience and an insight into what the NFL is about, as well as provide assistance to our coaching staff in the fundamental development of our football team for the upcoming season."
Swepson works with Jaguars assistant coach Pete Carmichael and the team's wide receivers, and Talley helps John Pease and the team's defensive line.
"The biggest way the program helps is that it gives us exposure to the pro game and helps us make contacts," said Talley. "I took this experience to see if I wanted to coach in the NFL some day. For me personally, I want to be challenged and coach at the highest level, and that's the NFL."
"But I've learned a lot, too," Talley continued. "At first it seemed as if there were nine million calls just for the defensive linemen, but after watching film I saw that it's not as complicated as it seems. I've found it interesting that the veteran players almost play the role of coaches, too, and they really help out the younger guys. And I'm able to help out coach Pease by putting the ends through a drill, for example, if he's working with the tackles. Or I can watch one side of the line while he's watching the other."
Talley currently coaches defensive backs at Dartmouth College. A graduate of Boston University, he previously coached at the University of Massachusetts and Colby College. Talley was a two time All-America and three time All-Conference selection, and he holds the Boston University record for most career tackles.
Swepson is the running backs coach at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. He graduated from Boston College in 1991, where he played running back and wide receiver for Coughlin. Before joining Northeastern, he served as an assistant coach at Bates College, Rhode Island, Boston University and Holy Cross.
The National Football League Minority Coaching Fellowship Program began in 1987. In 12 years, more than 500 coaches have taken part in the program, including 50 with 29 NFL teams this year. More than 30 current NFL assistant coaches are graduates of the program.
The Jaguars held a morning practice at Ferrell Fields and took the afternoon off before gathering back at ALLTEL Stadium for meetings in the evening.
"It was not a particularly good practice," admitted head coach Tom Coughlin, "but it's a time right now when the young players have to show me they have the staying power. It's just beginning for them, and it's the middle of a tough week, but it'll be this way for quite some time. They have to hang in and show us who the football players are."
Quarterback Mark Brunell had a light practice. "There were a couple of objectives to that: to get the other quarterbacks some more time and to give Mark an opportunity to work on the running game, the faking actions. He just didn't throw toda," said Coughlin.
The Jaguars will practice on Thursday at 8:40 a.m. and 3:20 p.m., and at 8:40 a.m. on Friday.
