The Florida football program is losing its co-offensive line coordinator to the National Football League, according to a report from Swamp247.
Darnell Stapleton, who joined head coach Billy Napier’s debut staff in 2022 and spent two years in Gainesville as one of two full-time offensive line coaches, is leaving to join the Washington Commanders as an assistant offensive line coach.
Stapleton followed Napier from the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to the Swamp after serving as an off-field offensive line assistant in 2021. His contract was extended by the Gators back in January but the lure of the bright lights clearly trumped what Florida has to offer.
The 38-year-old gridiron veteran played just one year in the NFL but made it count — he was on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster for the 2008-09 season and started in the 2009 Super Bowl at right guard. He was also a finalist for the 2006 Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate center.
Current Florida offensive line coach Rob Sale made up the other half of the O-line coaching pair but it still remains unclear how Napier and Co. plan on filling the void left behind by Stapleton.
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