As the Tennessee Titans prepare to take on the Washington Commanders in Landover, one member of the organization has a little more excitement than most: defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Not only does he coordinate one of the best units in the league, ranking second in total defense, first in pass defense, and eighth in run defense. He now gets an opportunity to return home to continue building his resume.
Born and raised near the Commanders’ Northwest Stadium in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He attended the University of Maryland and eventually signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Unfortunately, his potential career on the field was derailed by injury, where he quickly pivoted into coaching.
Now, a decade later, he enters the stadium as a hot name in coaching circles after building an ascending defense during his first season as a coordinator.
Sunday will be a homecoming for @Titans DC Dennard Wilson, who went to DeMatha Catholic High School, played at @TerpsFootball and joined the @Commanders as a UDFA in 2004. pic.twitter.com/yz4XX9bffu
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) November 28, 2024
“It’s not about me; all I care about is going back to Washington and getting a win,” Wilson said on Thursday. “All I care about is this defense having success.”
Wilson then reflected on growing up in the Washington area.
“Obviously, I love being from the East Coast, being from the Maryland/DMV area,” he said. “A majority of my family is there. I have great memories. High school was right down the road; my grandmother lived right across the street from the stadium. I grew up probably 10 minutes away from it. Being from there is a helluva thing, and I represent it well.”
At 3-8, Tennessee has a lot of question marks on their coaching staff, but Wilson isn’t one of them. He is a rising talent and Titans’ are lucky to have him.
