Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
TJ Rushing Named Texas A&M’s Defensive Backs coach
Jan 24, 2020 | Football
COLLEGE STATION – Eight-year coaching veteran and Super Bowl Champion TJ Rushing has been named the Texas A&M defensive backs coach, head coach Jimbo Fisher announced. Rushing joins the A&M staff after spending the last two years in a similar role at Memphis.
"TJ has an outstanding track record of playing, teaching and developing quality defensive backs," Fisher said. "He is a tireless worker, an outstanding recruiter and he coaches with a lot of fire and enthusiasm. He will make a great addition to our coaching staff."
Rushing, a member of the Super Bowl XLI Champion Indianapolis Colts, has had coaching stops at Memphis, Stanford, Arizona State and Northern Arizona after his professional career ended.
Rushing comes to College Station after spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons as Memphis' defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. He helped lead the Tigers to a program-record 12 wins, including the school's first outright conference championship since 1969, and a berth in the New Year's Six Cotton Bowl in 2019. Over his two seasons on staff, the Tigers grabbed 18 interceptions and forced 37 total turnovers, returning four for touchdowns.
The Tigers' 2019 defense ranked 18th in FBS with a team passing efficiency defense rating of 115.36 and ranked 25th in the nation with an average of 7.0 tackles for loss per game.
At Arizona State, Rushing tutored Freshman All-American Chase Lucas, who led the Sun Devils with two interceptions and seven pass breakups and also made 53 tackles from his cornerback position in 2017.
Before returning to Arizona State, Rushing was a defensive assistant at Stanford in 2015 working primarily with the cornerbacks. That year, behind All-Pac-12 selection Ronnie Harris, the Cardinal posted a 12-2 record, won the conference championship and defeated No. 5 Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
Rushing spent the 2014 season coaching cornerbacks at Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks had the conference's best pass defense, allowing an average of 176.8 yards per game through the air, and ranked second with a team pass efficiency defense rating of 122.03.
Rushing began his coaching career at Arizona State, serving as a graduate assistant in 2012 and defensive quality control coach in 2013. In 2012, the Sun Devils led the Pac-12 in passing defense, allowing an average of 167.9 yards per game that was the third-lowest in the country, and led the conference in pass efficiency defense, ranking 10th in the country with a rating of 105.45. Arizona State also nabbed 21 interceptions, the fourth-highest total in the nation, and all four starting defensive backs earned all-conference honors.
Rushing played five seasons in the NFL, the first four with the Indianapolis Colts after being selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Colts win the Super Bowl his rookie year and returned to the Super Bowl three years later.
Rushing was drafted after a collegiate career that put him among the greatest returners in Stanford history. He twice earned All-Pac-10 honors, including a spot as the first-team specialist in 2004. Rushing's three kickoff return touchdowns are tied for the program record, and he left school ranking second in program history with 1,409 career kickoff return yards and third with an average of 27.1 yards per kickoff return.
Rushing appeared in 43 career games and made 19 starts at cornerback for the Cardinal. He recorded 147 tackles, including 13.0 for loss with 4.0 sacks, four interceptions, 14 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and one fumble recovery.
Rushing also was a sprinter for the Stanford track and field team his first two years on campus. He ran the leadoff leg on Stanford's 4×100-meter relay team that broke the school record with a time of 39.71 seconds in 2004.
Rushing earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford in 2006. He and his wife, Taylor, have three children, Collin, Mora and Terrall III.
Rushing File
Personal
Birthdate: June 8, 1983
Hometown: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Education
College: Stanford, 2006
Playing Experience
2002-06 – Stanford
2006-09 – Indianapolis Colts
2010 – Detroit Lions
2012 – Saskatchewan Roughriders
Coaching Experience
2012 – Arizona State, Graduate Assistant
2013 – Arizona State, Defensive Quality Control
2014 – Northern Arizona, Cornerbacks
2015 – Stanford, Defensive Assistant
2016-17 – Arizona State, Defensive Backs
2018-19 – Memphis, Passing Game Coord./Defensive Backs
2020-present – Texas A&M, Defensive Backs
Postseason Experience
2006 – Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl Champions)
2007 – Indianapolis Colts (Divisional)
2008 – Indianapolis Colts (Wild Card)
2009 – Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl)
2012 – Saskatchewan Roughriders (West Semi-Final)
2012 – Arizona State (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
2013 – Arizona State (Holiday)
2015 – Stanford (Rose)
2017 – Arizona State (Sun)
2018 – Memphis (Birmingham)
2019 – Memphis (Cotton)
"TJ has an outstanding track record of playing, teaching and developing quality defensive backs," Fisher said. "He is a tireless worker, an outstanding recruiter and he coaches with a lot of fire and enthusiasm. He will make a great addition to our coaching staff."
Rushing, a member of the Super Bowl XLI Champion Indianapolis Colts, has had coaching stops at Memphis, Stanford, Arizona State and Northern Arizona after his professional career ended.
Rushing comes to College Station after spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons as Memphis' defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. He helped lead the Tigers to a program-record 12 wins, including the school's first outright conference championship since 1969, and a berth in the New Year's Six Cotton Bowl in 2019. Over his two seasons on staff, the Tigers grabbed 18 interceptions and forced 37 total turnovers, returning four for touchdowns.
The Tigers' 2019 defense ranked 18th in FBS with a team passing efficiency defense rating of 115.36 and ranked 25th in the nation with an average of 7.0 tackles for loss per game.
At Arizona State, Rushing tutored Freshman All-American Chase Lucas, who led the Sun Devils with two interceptions and seven pass breakups and also made 53 tackles from his cornerback position in 2017.
Before returning to Arizona State, Rushing was a defensive assistant at Stanford in 2015 working primarily with the cornerbacks. That year, behind All-Pac-12 selection Ronnie Harris, the Cardinal posted a 12-2 record, won the conference championship and defeated No. 5 Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
Rushing spent the 2014 season coaching cornerbacks at Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks had the conference's best pass defense, allowing an average of 176.8 yards per game through the air, and ranked second with a team pass efficiency defense rating of 122.03.
Rushing began his coaching career at Arizona State, serving as a graduate assistant in 2012 and defensive quality control coach in 2013. In 2012, the Sun Devils led the Pac-12 in passing defense, allowing an average of 167.9 yards per game that was the third-lowest in the country, and led the conference in pass efficiency defense, ranking 10th in the country with a rating of 105.45. Arizona State also nabbed 21 interceptions, the fourth-highest total in the nation, and all four starting defensive backs earned all-conference honors.
Rushing played five seasons in the NFL, the first four with the Indianapolis Colts after being selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Colts win the Super Bowl his rookie year and returned to the Super Bowl three years later.
Rushing was drafted after a collegiate career that put him among the greatest returners in Stanford history. He twice earned All-Pac-10 honors, including a spot as the first-team specialist in 2004. Rushing's three kickoff return touchdowns are tied for the program record, and he left school ranking second in program history with 1,409 career kickoff return yards and third with an average of 27.1 yards per kickoff return.
Rushing appeared in 43 career games and made 19 starts at cornerback for the Cardinal. He recorded 147 tackles, including 13.0 for loss with 4.0 sacks, four interceptions, 14 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and one fumble recovery.
Rushing also was a sprinter for the Stanford track and field team his first two years on campus. He ran the leadoff leg on Stanford's 4×100-meter relay team that broke the school record with a time of 39.71 seconds in 2004.
Rushing earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford in 2006. He and his wife, Taylor, have three children, Collin, Mora and Terrall III.
Rushing File
Personal
Birthdate: June 8, 1983
Hometown: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Education
College: Stanford, 2006
Playing Experience
2002-06 – Stanford
2006-09 – Indianapolis Colts
2010 – Detroit Lions
2012 – Saskatchewan Roughriders
Coaching Experience
2012 – Arizona State, Graduate Assistant
2013 – Arizona State, Defensive Quality Control
2014 – Northern Arizona, Cornerbacks
2015 – Stanford, Defensive Assistant
2016-17 – Arizona State, Defensive Backs
2018-19 – Memphis, Passing Game Coord./Defensive Backs
2020-present – Texas A&M, Defensive Backs
Postseason Experience
2006 – Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl Champions)
2007 – Indianapolis Colts (Divisional)
2008 – Indianapolis Colts (Wild Card)
2009 – Indianapolis Colts (Super Bowl)
2012 – Saskatchewan Roughriders (West Semi-Final)
2012 – Arizona State (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
2013 – Arizona State (Holiday)
2015 – Stanford (Rose)
2017 – Arizona State (Sun)
2018 – Memphis (Birmingham)
2019 – Memphis (Cotton)
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