Pete Jenkins Dline coach

[MURP]

good article on the new Dline coach.   Guess he wasnt around the last couple years at LSU.  So much for that with the Wroten and Williams theory in the draft.   Anyway, guy sounds pumped up for the season. 

Eagles line coach is a rookie at 64
The Eagles coaxed Pete Jenkins to return from retirement.
By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer

Of all the additions the Eagles made this off-season, the most unlikely was Pete Jenkins.

At 64, he was three years into a happy retirement from his job as an assistant coach under Nick Saban at Louisiana State. After 34 years in the profession, he confessed to being "burned out" when he left the Tigers after the 2002 season.

Except for two years as a high school head coach, he had spent his career as a defensive assistant at the college level. Nowhere on his resume could you find anything about NFL experience, although he had forged relationships with Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells over the years.

He also had a friend in Juan Castillo, the Eagles' tireless offensive line coach.

Before longtime defensive line coach Tommy Brasher officially retired this winter, Eagles coach Andy Reid serendipitously started a search for his replacement when he made a 4:45 a.m. visit to Castillo's office at the NovaCare Complex.

Reid knew that former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress, now the head coach in Minnesota, was going to hire Karl Dunbar as his defensive line coach. Reid asked Castillo about Dunbar.

"I said something like, 'He's a good coach, and he learned from a good coach that I studied from,' " Castillo recalled yesterday after the rookie camp workout.

Castillo put in one of Jenkins' instructional tapes to show Reid. After the early-morning screening, Reid asked Castillo whether he thought his old friend and mentor would be willing to come out of retirement.

A phone call couldn't hurt, Reid told Castillo.

The phone conversation between Reid and Jenkins led to a trip to Philadelphia for the Georgia native and dinner at Frederick's on South Front Street. Jenkins, before he left his home on the Florida Panhandle, told his wife, Donna, that he'd get a free meal and some good football talk out of his trip north.

"I loaded up on some Italian food," he said.

Jenkins got more than a belly full of pasta. He was offered the job to replace Brasher. When he talked to his wife that night, she could tell he was more than a little interested.

"She said, 'You don't sound the same way about this as you did before you left,' " Jenkins said. "I liked what I saw and what I heard. It was really impressive. It seemed like a good fit."

To close the deal, Castillo said he tried to tug at Jenkins' competitive nature.

"I thought he was a great college coach, and that this would be a great way for him to end his career," Castillo said. "I know at first he wasn't sure if he was serious about it, but Coach is a very confident and competitive person. I said to him, 'You know, you've been good in college, but that doesn't mean anything here.' I know it got him mad a little bit."

Jenkins accepted the job, and the Eagles announced his hiring during Super Bowl week.

He acknowledged he had missed a lot of things about coaching during retirement, although he was still active at LSU and running football camps.

"I missed the game," he said. "I missed the relationships with the players. I missed teaching the little things. I love being that small part of the big picture. I missed the competition. I'd wake up on a beautiful Saturday morning and say to my wife, 'Somebody has a chance to fire the shot heard 'round the world today.' "

Now, Jenkins has a chance to be a part of an Eagles team that is trying to rebound from a 6-10 season. The play of his defensive line could go a long way toward restoring the Eagles as the elite team in a vastly improved NFC East. Two years ago, when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl, they were second in the league with 47 sacks. A year ago, they slipped to 26th in that category, dropping the quarterback just 29 times.

Jenkins is big on video and technique. He's also bubbling with enthusiasm.

"I've always been interested in the game within the game," Jenkins said. "The other night, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of a few things Jevon [Kearse] could do that I think will make him better. Just a couple of things he could tweak. I couldn't wait to call him and tell him."

Kearse said during the Eagles' full-squad post-draft camp last month that Jenkins has gotten the entire defensive line more focused on technique, which he thinks will be beneficial.

"I love to coach," Jenkins said. "I think what a coach should be is somebody who makes everybody as successful as they can be."

Castillo believes Jenkins will bring that quality to his defensive linemen, and it also will help the offensive linemen.

"He's a great teacher," said Castillo, who was a high school defensive line coach in Kingsville, Texas, when he met Jenkins. "It's very important for me to show him that I'm a teacher, like he is. He was very instrumental in my career. He may still look at me as a student, but now we're going to get to work against each other. For both of us, the fundamentals of the game are very important."

[MURP]

and the daily news version.....

New Bird not retiring type
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com

THE THING that made Pete Jenkins leery of coaching in the NFL turned out to be the thing that made him attractive to the Eagles.

"I'd go visit pro camps in the summertime, and I didn't feel like I fit," the team's defensive-line coach said yesterday, attempting to explain how he ended up taking his first pro football job at age 64, 4 years into retirement after closing the books on 34 seasons of college coaching.

Jenkins, who sent quite a few players to the pros over the years, always thought his teaching emphasis and need to connect with players who wanted to work hard and were willing to learn made him a good fit for the college game - and perhaps not so good a fit for the NFL, with its older, sometimes more cynical, less malleable players.

"I'm a guy that, really, I love the game. A lot of times, I would see people practice different than I wanted to practice," Jenkins said, mopping his bushy brow after a warm, humid morning of minicamp workouts for rookies and select veterans. "I went to a pro camp one time, they had practice fields all set up, one of the star players got in a golf cart and knocked over all the cones, ran over all the dummies. And I'm thinking, I'm not a military guy, you don't have to salute me, but I like guys to give effort, and want to be good and want to be helped. I wasn't really sure" that was how it worked in the pros.

A little more than 4 months ago, though, Jenkins got a call from an old coaching friend at the home Jenkins and his wife, Donna, had built for their retirement, on the Florida Panhandle. Eagles offensive-line coach Juan Castillo is known for developing unheralded linemen, and for the passion and focus he brings to lengthy postpractice sessions with depth players. Jenkins is one of the coaches Castillo credits with helping him develop his style. Castillo was calling to see whether Jenkins would come to Philadelphia and meet with Eagles coach Andy Reid.

The Eagles had just gone 6-10, after five straight seasons in the playoffs. While nobody was scapegoating 65-year-old defensive-line coach Tommy Brasher, whose battle with cancer since 2001 had earned everyone's respect, the d-line was just about the biggest disappointment in a season of disasters.

Elsewhere, injuries helped explain the struggles, but the Eagles didn't suffer a significant setback along the defensive line except for 2003 first-round draft choice Jerome McDougle's absence after he was shot in the abdomen just before training camp. A team that had ranked second in the NFL with 47 sacks in 2004 managed only 29 a year later, the Eagles' lowest total since 1978. The lack of pass-rush pressure led to breakdowns in the secondary.

Brasher, a pro coach since 1982, was known as demanding and caustic, but was not known so much for teaching.

"Tommy was used to coaching older guys," a source close to the situation said yesterday. "He felt like they should already know how to do things."

When Brasher decided to retire, the Eagles, who now have used their last two first-round picks on defensive tackles, decided a different approach might be in order. But they had a selling job to do on Jenkins, a folksy Georgia native who had spent much of his career in the Southeastern Conference, at Florida, Auburn, Mississippi State and LSU, where he served two stints.

Jenkins said he decided to listen to Reid out of respect, not really thinking anything would come of it.

"I didn't know [Reid], but I knew about him in the business... he's held in high esteem in coaching circles," Jenkins said. "I told my wife, I said, 'You know, I'm going to take a ride up there and visit with 'em. I'm sure there'll be a good meal in it.' It was going to be a 1-day deal.

"Well, I called home after [defensive coordinator Jim Johnson] and I went to dinner that night, and my wife - she's only been married to me 39 years, so she knows me pretty good, I guess - she said, 'Boy, you sound a lot different about that job than you did when you left here this morning.'

"I said, 'I really liked what I saw. I'm really impressed with everybody I met.' "

Jenkins talked to coaches he knew who had worked with Reid.

"They said, 'He runs a tight ship, the guys practice hard. He does things the way you want to do it,' " Jenkins said.

Despite what he'd told his wife about coming up for the free meal, Jenkins was open to ending his retirement.

"I was missin' the game... I missed the relationship with the players. I missed teaching the things that become a small part of a big picture, that allow people to be personally successful and teams to be successful," Jenkins said. "And the other thing was the competition. I'd wake up some times on Saturday morning, it'd be a beautiful autumn afternoon, I'd tell my wife, 'Goddang, somebody's got a chance to fire a shot heard 'round the world today.' I just felt like I was out of the fight."

In the middle of his second Eagles minicamp, Jenkins thinks he made the right decision. Yes, he's 64, and yes, he acknowledges he was "burned out" by his final LSU stint, under demanding head coach Nick Saban, who now leads the Miami Dolphins. But the batteries have recharged, Jenkins said, and it's invigorating to learn a new routine, after all those years in college.

"It was my first combine, my first draft, my first minicamp. Actually, I saw the Phillies, which was my first [major league] baseball game. Every day was something new," he said. "It's the same thing, but it's different."

Even in retirement, Jenkins stayed involved in three football camps. You can find his instructional videos on the Internet. His teaching focus is fundamentals, especially teaching defensive linemen how to use their hands, how to shed the offensive linemen's hands.

"It used to be forearms and shoulder pads... Today it's a game of hands and feet," Jenkins said. "Offense is the same way; both guys are trying hard to get their hands inside on the other one... I've studied it a great deal over the years, and I enjoy teaching it... I guess what I've established myself as over the years is as a teacher of technique. I believe technique is a great equalizer."

So far, the Eagles have been receptive to his teaching, even the veterans, Jenkins said. At the first minicamp, the d-line's lone established star, end Jevon Kearse, lauded Jenkins.

"He knows what he's talking about," Kearse said. "He's gone back and studied a lot of my game film, and basically, he's helped me out a whole lot."

A few nights ago, Jenkins was at least half-asleep, thinking about how to help Kearse come off the edge, when some new ideas surfaced.

"I couldn't even sleep," Jenkins recalled. "I was lying in the bed thinking, 'If I can tweak this just a little bit... it's going to allow him to be more successful, and thus allow us to be more successful.' "

[SunMo]

i just got done reading about him on philly.com.

the 1st reader comment is ridiculous

[hbionic]

Thanks for the articles. Sadly, I hadn't kept up with the fact that we had a new D-Line coach...with so many young guys on the line, patterson, bunkley, cole, mcdougle...having solid fundamentals early in their career will help their weekly growth that much more. I hope that when it comes to that one play we need...that because of jenkins, we're not 1 split second too late, or chasing the tailback...I hope he can forever help our d-line eliminate any mamula they have in them and make the play right on time.

[BigEd76]

When Keyonta was on DNL the other day, he mentioned that the younger guys on the DL have picked up the system pretty well because Jenkins basically showed them how he was able to learn it himself since it was all new to him too...

[Don Ho]

"It was my first combine, my first draft, my first minicamp. Actually, I saw the Phillies, which was my first [major league] baseball game. Every day was something new," he said. "It's the same thing, but it's different."

Poor bastich

[SunMo]

Eagles | T. Cole likes Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers
Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:07:18 -0700

Nick Fierro, of the Easton Express Times, reports Philadelphia Eagles DL Trent Cole believes defensive line coach Pete Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers will make a big difference in the 2006 season. Cole said, "We do a lot more hand movements and stuff, and a lot more pass rushes and stuff. There's a lot of hand combat involved. It's been working well. I've seen changes in my game since we've been with coach Jenkins. So it's been great for me. I think it's going to help us get to the quarterback more. The one thing I've improved on is getting my hips around. I'm using my hands a lot more and using a lot more hand combat that Jenkins has showed me. We do it every day, so it's natural to me now."

[Beermonkey]

Eagles | T. Cole likes Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers
Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:07:18 -0700

Nick Fierro, of the Easton Express Times, reports Philadelphia Eagles DL Trent Cole believes defensive line coach Pete Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers will make a big difference in the 2006 season. Cole said, "We do a lot more hand movements and stuff, and a lot more pass rushes and stuff. There's a lot of hand combat involved. It's been working well. I've seen changes in my game since we've been with coach Jenkins. So it's been great for me. I think it's going to help us get to the quarterback more. The one thing I've improved on is getting my hips around. I'm using my hands a lot more and using a lot more hand combat that Jenkins has showed me. We do it every day, so it's natural to me now."

Sounds like Jenkins is placing a greater emphasis on stuff this year. Maybe Jenkins can be our version of the coaching angel. 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

No one used "the club" like Reggie White.

[ice grillin you]

Pete Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers will make a big difference


either this guy is god himself or brasher was the biggest moron to ever live

[Beermonkey]

No one used "the club" like Reggie White.

Him clubbing an OT to the ground is my first Eagles memory & one of the main reasons I began following them.

[hbionic]

Pete Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers will make a big difference


either this guy is god himself or brasher was the biggest moron to ever live

laughing like a wheezing old man...so

LLAWOM   

[QB Eagles]

Pete Jenkins' methods for shedding blockers will make a big difference


either this guy is god himself or brasher was the biggest moron to ever live

Don't forget option 3: that this was a meaningless puff quote to the press, typical of every offseason.

[Sgt PSN]

LLAWOMAN 

[SunMo]

(June 9, 2006) -- They started working together in 1999, Eagles coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and now they are tied together through 2010.

This offseason, very quietly, the Eagles exercised their option for the final two years of Johnson's contract, tying him to Philadelphia through the 2010 season. It is the exact year that Reid's contract also runs through.

The defensive coordinator's deal keeps Johnson amongst the three highest-paid defensive coordinators in the game, along with the Washington taterskins' Gregg Williams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Monte Kiffin. There never was much of a question that the Eagles would exercise the option, but this was the offseason in which they did it.

But Johnson is a lot more concerned with reviving the Eagles' pass rush than landing contract guarantees. Eagles officials believe the team's biggest problem last season was the lack of pass rush. It is why the team poured much of its offseason salary-cap space into free-agent defensive end Darren Howard and used its first-round pick on defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley.

Now Johnson can be the master schemer that he is, devising more ways to get increased pressure. One is expected to come with a more active rotation. The Eagles can have a rotation because of their surplus of defensive ends. In addition to signing Howard, the Eagles also are getting back former first-round pick Jerome McDougle, who has recovered from the gunshot wound he suffered before last season.

Eagles officials say McDougle has shown up at their Organized Team Activities with a new attitude, a new energy, a new urgency he lacked before. It's almost as if the 27-year-old McDougle feels he has been given a second chance to reach the potential the Eagles saw in him when they drafted him in the first round in 2003.

And what also has helped McDougle, and each of the other Eagles linemen, is the presence of new defensive line coach Pete Jenkins. Reid was able to coax Jenkins out of retirement after the defensive line coach had worked under Nick Saban at LSU. Jenkins is considered a superb technician, and those techniques now are being transferred to McDougle and Howard and each lineman on the roster.

So now the Eagles have a new defensive line coach in Jenkins, a deal in place with their defensive coordinator Johnson, and the hopes that this will be a very different season from the last one.