Nov. 27, 2011; Oakland; Hue Jackson and Rock Cartwright (25) share a hug at O.co Coliseum as members of the Oakland Raiders. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
INDIANAPOLIS – Former Kansas State running back Rock Cartwright enjoyed a 10-year NFL career and now has a first opportunity on the sideline.
Cartwright recently joined the Cleveland Browns staff as an offensive quality control/assistant running backs coach and the hiring was natural for new head coach Hue Jackson.
“He’s been successful at everything he’s ever done,” Jackson said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I was able to draft Rock when I was at Washington and I’ve watched him grow. He was with me in Oakland and he’s done a tremendous job.”
Cartwright originally entered the NFL in 2002 as a seventh-round pick with Washington while Jackson was the running backs coach there.
The former Wildcat played eight seasons in Washington, and set a team single-season record with 1,541 kickoff return yards in 2006. His 3,157 kickoff return yards rank second in Washington history.
He reunited with Jackson in Oakland in 2010, where Jackson served as the offensive coordinator and then head coach in 2011.
Cartwright spent training camp with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 before being released in late August and was a training camp coaching intern with the Steelers in 2015.
Jackson forecasts good things ahead for Cartwright
“He’s very bright, he’s tough, he’s energetic and he has a passion for football,” Jackson said. “He wants to be good and to me, I love kind of putting those kinds of guys with that kind of energy on our staff. I think he has a bright future ahead of himself.”
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Herbie Teope is the lead Chiefs beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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