One of the most inspiring stories of the 2019 NFL season was that of Raiders tight end Darren Waller. A supremely gifted athlete whose NFL career nearly never happened due to substance abuse problems. He went from an NFL afterthought to putting up elite-level numbers in a few month’s time.
While we talk a lot about the player himself or the offense Jon Gruden runs as being primary factors in such a performance, often times the work of the tight ends coach goes unrecognized. Waller intends on giving Smith the credit he deserves tonight at the 6th annual Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards ceremony.
The event will support Coaching Corps’ mission to provide youth from low-income communities access to caring and well-trained coaches. The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards features top Bay Area professional athletes celebrating the profound influence of coaches on their lives and the community.
The presenters are all prominent Bay Area athletes whose lives have been shaped by the mentorship and transformative influence of caring coaches.
- Eric Paschall, Golden State Warriors forward, will honor Villanova head coach Jay Wright
- Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers defensive end, will honor his high school coach Joe Cattolico
- Stephen Piscotty, Oakland A’s outfielder, will honor his father Michael Piscotty
- Ron Wotus, San Francisco Giants coach, will honor his high school coach John McKiernan
- Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders tight end, will honor Raiders tight ends coach Frank Smith
Waller has spoken openly about his struggles to kick his drug addictions that plagued him over the first four years of his NFL career which included him being suspended for the entire 2017 season. The world was introduced to his story in this year’s Hard Knocks which was held in Raiders training camp in Napa.
The former sixth-round pick out of Georgia Tech was a highly promising prospect. He nearly squandered several opportunities afforded him by the Baltimore Ravens who drafted him and ultimately found himself on the team’s practice squad.
Late in the 2018 season, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson convinced Gruden to give Waller a shot, so the team signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad and inserted him into the lineup for the final four games of the season. He impressed with his athleticism, but that was never in question.
What Waller needed was support, stability, and mentorship. He got that from Frank Smith.
Smith was added to Gruden’s staff in 2018 and was credited in part with helping Jared Cook have his best season as a pro at the age of 31.
Cook left in free agency to sign with the Saints, and the Raiders allowed it to happen because they saw big things for Waller. It was the kind of faith Waller probably wasn’t not expecting considering his NFL career arch so far.
Waller rewarded the Raiders’ faith in him with the second-best single-season numbers by a Raiders tight end in franchise history. Waller caught 90 passes for 1145 yards and 3 touchdowns, second only to Chiefs All-Pro Travis Kelce among tight ends.
Along with Waller’s breakout season, the Raiders got surprising contributions from rookie tight end Foster Moreau who had 21 catches for 174 yards and whose 5 touchdowns was second on the team despite missing the final three games to injury. It was Moreau’s talent that had the team let go of veteran tight ends Lee Smith and Luke Willson.
Throw in Derek Carrier, and the Raiders have plenty of versatility at the tight end position to run Gruden’s offense. That group was a highlight for the Raiders last season and Frank Smith deserved a shout out for his work in their emergence. He gets one tonight.
For those hoping to watch the Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards, presented by Levi’s®, they will be airing Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Bay Area.
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