Tennessee high school football team hires former NFL WR as head coach

A Tennessee high school football team will receive NFL-level coaching from its new head coach. As The Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Wendell Shepherd Jr. reported, Cedrick Wilson Sr. will take over the program of his alma mater, Melrose High School.

Wilson will have another opportunity to coach the Golden Wildcats. His first stint lasted two seasons (2020 and 2021), and he guided Melrose to a 12-11 overall record. In his final year, the Golden Wildcats reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs but lost to Haywood. Before the 1997 Melrose graduate coached his alma mater, he coached Hamilton to two winless seasons, bringing his coaching mark to 12-28.

Cedrick Wilson Sr. was a Tennessee high school football standout who helped Melrose win a state championship. As the team’s quarterback, he guided his team to an undefeated 15-0 record. After high school, he played for the University of Tennessee. In his four years with the Volunteers, he earned two Second-team All-SEC honors and won a BCS National Championship.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Wilson in the sixth round (169^th overall) of the 2001 draft. He spent four seasons with the Niners and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2005 offseason.

He was instrumental during the Steelers’ 2005 playoff run, as proven by his 104 receiving yards in the Wild Card Round against the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson had one catch during Super Bowl 40, which the Steelers won over the Seattle Seahawks. He finished his career after the 2007 season with 2,365 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Meanwhile, his son, Cedrick Jr., plays for the Miami Dolphins. The older Wilson will take over a Tennessee high school football team with back-to-back 10-win seasons. Last season, the Golden Wildcats reached the state quarterfinals but lost to eventual champions Westview. Melrose has a 21-6 record over their two previous campaigns.