Former Houston Oilers stars have an HBCU connection

What are the chances that four players from the same franchise would all be coaching at the HBCU level? Apparently, given recent events, those chances are pretty high! With the hiring of Cris Dishman at Texas Southern, there are now four former Houston Oilers players who are coaching HBCU football. Including Dishman, there is Eddie George at Tennessee State, Bubba McDowell at Prairie View A&M, and Eddie Robinson Jr. at Alabama State.

Furthermore, three of the four coaches were teammates in Houston in the early 90s. Dishman, McDowell, and Robinson all shared a locker room at the same time between 1992-1994. George, whom the Oilers drafted in 1996, came a little bit later, but even he was a teammate of Dishman’s before the eventual Texas Southern coach left for Washington. Each of these coaches has a unique football journey, yet they all landed in similar spaces not just once, but twice, in their lives.

Eddie George

Many are already familiar with the story of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans mega-star running back Eddie George. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native enrolled at Ohio State in 1992. George didn’t get much burn in the early years as he competed with eventual 1993 first-round pick Robert Smith and 1994 fourth-round pick Raymont Harris. However, in 1994 and 1995, George ascended on a meteoric rise. In back-to-back years he rushed for over 1,300 yards and, in his senior year, ran for 23 touchdowns. His senior year exploits earned him an All-American selection, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award, and the Heisman Trophy. Today, George is fourth in Buckeye history in total rushing yards and total rushing touchdowns.

The Oilers selected George with the 14th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. The rookie picked up where he left off at Ohio State, rushing for nearly 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns. He won the 1996 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. George would continue to dominate over the next four years. He earned four Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro bids. In 2000, George also finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting and third in the MVP discussion behind Marshall Faulk and Donovan McNabb.

George retired from the NFL in 2006. He has since been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and is a semi-finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame. In 2021, he accepted the job to be the head coach for Tennessee State University. The Tigers are coming off their first winning season (6-5) under George’s tenure.

Bubba McDowell

Long before Bubba McDowell coached at Prairie View A&M, he was a young defensive back and kick/punt returner at the University of Miami (FL). After three years at Miami, McDowell entered the NFL Draft. The Oilers eventually picked him up in the third round of the 1989 Draft.

McDowell had a successful six-year career with the Houston Oilers. In his rookie year as a strong safety, he recorded 97 total tackles, four interceptions, forced four fumbles (recovered one), and forced a safety on an opposing offense. Over his career, McDowell continued to be a ball hawk, totaling 17 picks by the time he was done. He was also a tackling machine, racking up 486 total tackles. In 1991, McDowell’s four interceptions and 95 tackles earned him a slot on the All-Pro Second Team.

In 2012, McDowell joined Prairie View A&M as a defensive backs coach. He maintained that position for six years before becoming an assistant head coach in 2019. A few years later, McDowell moved all the way up to the head coaching position in 2022. During his tenure at the school, Prairie View A&M won the SWAC West twice in 2021 and 2023, but has yet to win the conference since 2009.

Eddie Robinson Jr.

Although Eddie Robinson Jr. is the head coach for Alabama State, he is no stranger to the Hornets. He attended the university himself before the Oilers selected him in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft. The linebacker spent four years in Houston before going to Jacksonville for a couple of years. He returned to the relocated franchise in Tennessee with Eddie George for another four years, then ended his career with the Buffalo Bills. Robinson had a stellar season in 1999 as he recorded 82 total tackles, six sacks, six tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles.

Alabama State hired Robinson in 2022 to be their new head coach. In his two years, the Hornets have had a 13-9 total record. They finished third in the SWAC East behind Jackson State and Florida A&M.

Cris Dishman

Last, but certainly not least, is Cris Dishman, the Purdue product. As a defensive back for the Boilermakers, Dishman nabbed nine total interceptions. His play on the back end interested the Houston Oilers, and they drafted him in the fifth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Typically, fifth round picks don’t have extended careers in the NFL. That, however, is not the case for Dishman; he spent nine productive years with the Oilers and lasted in the league for 13 total seasons. Dishman made two All-Pro teams and two Pro Bowls as a cornerback for both Houston and Washington. In 1991, he made the All-Pro First Team. That year, he got 66 tackles, six interceptions, forced two fumbles, and recovered three of them.

Out of everyone on the list, Dishman has the most coaching experience, on all levels of the game. He spent time coaching in the defunct NFL Europe in 2004 before going to Menlo college as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator from 2005-2007. Dishman joined the then-San Diego Chargers as an assistant defensive backs coach from 2008-2012. He bounced all over, going from Baylor University to the Arizona Cardinals to the high school IMG Academy. Most recently, Dishman was the defensive coordinator for the Vegas Vipers, a team in the XFL. Dishman’s love for coaching is more than apparent, which makes him a great option for Texas Southern