The Detroit Lions made a strong addition to their coaching staff, tabbing Tashard Choice to lead the running back room.
Adding Choice will move Scottie Montgomery to the wide receivers coach role, an indication of how strong the organization must feel about Choice. A former NFL player who was a standout at Georgia Tech, Choice has coached several elite talents in his career to this point.
Here’s a look at Choice’s journey to Detroit, as well as his experience as a coach to this point in his career.
Playing career
A standout at Lovejoy High School in Georgia, Choice committed to Oklahoma in their 2003 class. He redshirted as a freshman and was set to start the following year, but suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him early in the year.
The player who passed Choice on the depth chart was a freshman named Adrian Peterson, who went on to become a Heisman finalist. After a season in which he carried the ball 23 times for 100 yards, Choice was granted a medical hardship waiver and transferred to Georgia Tech to be closer to his family.
Choice had a solid season in his first year with the Yellow Jackets, then broke out in 2006 to the tune of 1,473 yards and 12 touchdowns. He followed that campaign with 1,379 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.
Choice’s statistically most fruitful season came during his rookie year, when he received significant playing time because of injuries at the position in Dallas. He racked up 472 yards and two touchdowns on 92 attempts. The next year, he achieved 349 rushing yards.
His usage declined in his third NFL season, and prior to his fourth, the team selected Oklahoma’s Demarco Murray. The Georgia Tech graduate was ultimately waived in October 2011 and subsequently picked up by Washington.
Choice’s time in Washington was brief, as he played only one game before being released once more. This time, he arrived in Buffalo and accumulated 70 yards on 23 carries during the last six games of the season.
In 2012, he stayed with Buffalo and recorded 193 rushing yards from 47 attempts. He participated in 12 matches with Buffalo the next year before being let go in December. Choice concluded the year with three matches as an Indianapolis Colt, marking the last performance of his NFL career.
Coaching curriculum vitae
2016 — Coaching intern for the Dallas Cowboys
2017 — Graduate assistant for the North Texas Mean Green
2018 — Coach for running backs at North Texas Mean Green
2019-21 — Coach for running backs of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2022-24 — Coach for running backs at Texas Longhorns