Randy Jordan

• Nine-year NFL career
• Special teams captain of 2002 AFC Champion Oakland Raiders

Following a nine-year career in the NFL, Randy Jordan moved to the sidelines and is now entering his fourth season as the Huskers' running backs coach. Jordan began his coaching career as a special teams assistant with the Oakland Raiders, before following Coach Bill Callahan to Nebraska.

With the Huskers, Jordan oversaw a Nebraska committee of I-backs in 2006 that produced nearly 2,400 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns in the powerful West Coast Offense. An improved effort on the ground helped NU move from 107th in 2005 to 23rd nationally in rushing offense in 2006. 

Brandon Jackson led the way with 989 rushing yards with seven touchdowns before leaving for the NFL Draft following his junior season. Jackson was a second-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, one of three Huskers selected on the first day of the draft. He was the highest drafted I-back from Nebraska since 1996 and was the highest drafted offensive player at NU since 2002.

Along with Jackson, three other Huskers benefited from Jordan’s tutelage, including Marlon Lucky (728 yards and six touchdowns, 32 receptions), Cody Glenn (370 yards and eight touchdowns) and Kenny Wilson (335 yards and four touchdowns). Lucky and Glenn return for the 2007 campaign looking to take the lead role in the offense, while Wilson rehabs an injury that will sideline him for the season.

Jordan's creativity and enthusiasm has shaped the I-back position into a multiple-threat weapon. The most recent beneficiary of Jordan’s knowledge, Jackson ranked third on the squad with 33 receptions while earning first-team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press. Jordan’s backs combined for 73 receptions and four receiving touchdowns, helping NU rank 14th nationally in total offense last year.

A year earlier, Glenn and Lucky provided a solid combination of speed and power that was an impressive complement to starting I-back Cory Ross in 2005.

A perfect example of the multi-dimensional player Jordan and the Huskers like to utilize, Ross finished his career ranked ninth on the Huskers' all-time rushing chart with 2,743 yards. He also ranked sixth on the NU career chart with 71 receptions, including a position record with 43 catches in 2005. Ross is the only Husker in history to rank in the top 10 for both rushing yards and receptions, and finished fourth in school history in all-purpose yards.

Jordan's guidance helped Ross join an elite group in 2004, as Ross became the 20th Husker to record 1,000 rushing yards in a season when he ranked fifth in the conference and 23rd nationally with 100.2 rushing yards per game. As a group, Nebraska's backs averaged 176.8 yards per contest in the first season of the West Coast Offense. 

Jordan began his coaching career in 2003 as he joined the Raider staff in mid-season as a special teams assistant under Oakland’s special teams coach Bob Casullo.

Before entering the coaching ranks, Jordan garnered nine years of NFL experience as a running back, playing in 122 career games from 1993 to 2002. He began his playing career with the Los Angeles Raiders, before joining the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars for three seasons, beginning in 1995. Jordan scored Jacksonville’s first-ever touchdown on a 71-yard reception against Cincinnati in 1995. He returned to the Raiders in 1998 where he played the next five seasons.

Jordan rushed for 159 yards for the Raiders in 1998, then had a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns during the 2000 season when Oakland reached the AFC Championship Game. Jordan also caught 27 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown in 2000. He finished his career with 574 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, while catching 58 passes for 596 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Manson, N.C., native also made an impression in the National Football League for his special teams play. A standout on special teams throughout his career, Jordan was named the special teams captain for Callahan’s 2002 Raider squad that reached Super Bowl XXXVII. He finished his career with 801 yards on 38 career kick returns, including 553 yards on 26 returns for the Jaguars in 1996.
Jordan also made 64 career tackles on special teams, including a career-best 14 in 1999. Jordan was a recipient of the NFL Unsung Hero Award and the Ed Block Courage Award in 2001.

Jordan played in the NFL after a standout collegiate career at the University of North Carolina. Jordan played for Coach Mack Brown at UNC from 1989 to 1992, earning three letters for the Tar Heels. He rushed for 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns in his career, including 618 yards and seven touchdowns in 1991.

Jordan earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communications from North Carolina in 1993. He and his wife, Romonda, have one daughter, Raven, and two sons, Jalen and Justin.
The Jordan File

Date and Place of Birth: Born on June 6, 1970, in Manson, N.C.

Family: Wife, Romonda; daughter, Raven (10); son Jalen (6), Justin, (Nov. 8, 2006) 

Education: North Carolina, bachelors in speech communications, 1993

Playing Experience: 1989-92, North Carolina; 1993, Los Angeles Raiders; 1995-97, Jacksonville Jaguars; 1998-2002, Oakland Raiders

Coaching Experience: 2003, Oakland Raiders (special teams assistant); 2004-present, Nebraska (assistant coach/running backs)

Recruiting Emphasis: Eastern Texas, Eastern Dallas, Northern Louisiana