For the second time in a week, a National Football League star is retiring and becoming a high school football coach. Monday, Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, announced that tight end Jason Witten is the school’s new head football coach. Witten played 16 years with the Dallas Cowboys and then spent this past season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Faith. Family. Football,” Witten said in a statement released by Liberty Christian. “In this next chapter, it is important to me to be the best father and husband I can be, while making a positive impact in the community and share the wisdom I’ve accumulated over the years to positively impact the next generation.”
Witten’s children attend Liberty Christian.
“I am very excited about Jason coming on board and joining the Liberty Christian coaching staff,” said Liberty Athletic Director Johnny Isom. “We have an extremely talented, hard-working group of coaches and he will undoubtedly prove to be a wonderful addition. The football program will be in great hands under his leadership and I cannot wait to see the impact that he will have on the lives of athletes.”
Witten retired having played the most games as a tight end in NFL history. Witten caught 1,228 balls for 13,046 yards, the second-most in both categories by a tight end in NFL history. His receptions are the fourth-most in NFL history.
In high school, Witten played linebacker and tight end at Elizabethton High School in Tennessee. He was one of the best linebackers in the Volunteer State, earning All-State honors at the position.
As a three year starter, Witten led the school to three straight state semifinal appearances. He is still the school’s all-time leader with 450 tackles. At tight end, Witten caught 26 passes as a senior for 235 yards with 14 touchdowns.
In 1999, Witten was named an All-American by Parade Magazine, USA TODAY and other media outlets. In 2005, Elizabethton named a street after the future Hall of Famer.
Wed, Jan 12, 2005 – 9 · Johnson City Press (Johnson City, Tennessee) · Newspapers.comLast season, Liberty Christian finished 2-7.
Last week, quarterback Philip Rivers retired to become the head football coach at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Alabama.
