A former Washington Commanders wide receiver has found a new home. He has hung up the pads so he can coach high school flag football.
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Rashad Ross, a native of Vallejo, California, has returned to the high school where he once competed in multiple sports. He has taken on the role of head coach of the flag football team. This is a position that he secured in early August, and it is one that he will use to help shape future generations.
"I feel like this is my purpose," Ross told the Vallejo Times-Herald. "To teach kids about the game in flag football. Not just boys, but girls, too."
This is a journey that Ross says began when he was helping out the Coach Sarna League. He helped the 10U girls team, and he worked with them during July's NFL Flag National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Ross, who still works as a receivers coach at Diablo Valley College, became hooked on the sport of flag football. He saw opportunities to coach young athletes as they got into the sport, and he took multiple interviews.
According to the Times-Herald, one school offered him a role with the junior varsity team. However, his alma mater offered him the varsity job without needing to conduct an interview.
He has since accepted and taken over the girls team. Now, his goal is to turn this group into winners while supporting them however he can.
"We need to win," he told the outlet. "Not everything is going to work all the time, but I want to have this team do very well. I'm going to scout other teams and watch how we can beat their players. We're going to get better all the time."
Prior to taking on this new role, Ross made plays for multiple teams across the college and pro ranks. He began his college career with Butte Junior College, but he spent his junior and senior seasons with Arizona State.
It was with the Sun Devils that he accounted for 864 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, 779 kick return yards, and two kickoff return touchdowns.
Ross moved to the NFL as an undrafted free agent, and he spent time with multiple franchises. This includes the Chicago Bears in 2014 and the Washington Commanders in 2015-16.
His best season came in 2015. He caught eight passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. He added 684 yards and another score as a kick returner.
