Jason Witten announced last week that he is retiring from the NFL for the second time, and it is already going very differently from his first retirement.
Liberty Christian School, a K-12 school in Argyle, Texas, announced on Monday that Witten was hired as its new football coach.
Liberty Christian School is pleased to announce our new football coach Jason Witten. Jason, a former Dallas Cowboy player and longtime father of Liberty, will join the Liberty Christian coaching staff as a football coach. It’s a great day to be a Warrior! pic.twitter.com/SPtdSqvxID
– Liberty Christian (@LibertyArgyle) February 1, 2021
“Faith. Family. Football,” said Witten in a statement released by the school via ESPN. “In this next chapter, it is important for me to be the best father and husband I can be, while having a positive impact on the community and sharing the wisdom that I have accumulated over the years to positively impact the next generation. ”
Liberty Christian is where Witten’s children attend school. He would have spent several opportunities in the NFL and college football to take over at Liberty Christian.
Witten takes a different path after his first retirement
Witten, 38, originally retired after the 2017 season, having spent all 15 years of his career (up to that point) with the Dallas Cowboys. He jumped from the NFL directly into the broadcast booth, becoming an analyst for “Monday Night Football”.
Did not went well. Witten was not a born commentator, and his inexperience was evident. After a season as an announcer, Witten re-entered the NFL. The tight end signed a one-year contract to return to the Cowboys in 2019 and spent his last season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
When Witten announced his retirement last week, he said he plans to sign a one-day contract with Dallas in March so that he can retire with the team that recruited him in 2003. That’s how it should end, because Witten is a Cowboys legend . He is the team leader at all times in receptions (1,215) and yards (12,977), and is second in touchdown catches (72). He has been a Pro Bowler 11 times and has had four seasons of 1,000 yards. He also has the second highest number of receptions and yards for a tight end in NFL history.
Coaching high school football is becoming a popular post-NFL job. Philip Rivers, who recently announced his retirement after 17 years in the league, is also becoming a high school football coach. Rivers will train at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama.
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Originally published