The first time Shawn Jefferson spoke with reporters as the new Carolina Panthers wide receiver coach, he said his unit was “under construction.” Well, he backed up those words a bit literally on Saturday.
Jefferson geared up during the team’s training camp work down in Spartanburg this morning, slapping on a helmet and shoulder pads for position drills. He also equipped himself with a blocking pad to lay some hits on his guys, as shown in this video from Vashti Hurt of Carolina Blitz:
Panthers wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson is padded up and delivering hits during wide receiver drills. pic.twitter.com/jKA3jo2A2U
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) August 5, 2023
A former wide receiver himself (obviously), Jefferson played 13 seasons in the league. Over that time, he reeled in 470 balls for 7,023 yards and 29 touchdowns.
The 54-year-old is now in his 18th campaign on the NFL sidelines, 16 of which have come as a wide receivers coach. He’s also served as an assistant head coach on two different occasions—with the New York Jets in 2019 and 2020 and with the Arizona Cardinals this past season.
And by the looks of it, he may be adding “defensive back” to his list of duties for the Panthers this year.