James Colzie Chosen for NFL Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship
Carrollton, GA – The rigors of preseason football practice will come early this season for one member of the West Georgia Wolves’ coaching staff. UWG’s James Colzie will next week head to work with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Colzie is among a select group of coaches from around the country to be part of the National Football League’s Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Program for 2010. As a result, he will be on the practice field when the Chiefs begin their training camp in St. Joseph’s, Mo.
“This is a great opportunity for me and for West Georgia,” says Colzie. “I will be working with (Pro Football) Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas (secondary coach) and Romeo Crennel, the defensive coordinator. What I learn there will make me a better coach, and I can bring what I learn back here to West Georgia.”
Colzie will be on hand for the start of the Chiefs’ preseason camp on July 27. He will remain with the club through their first preseason game on August 13, in the Georgia Dome vs. the Atlanta Falcons.
Though Colzie will miss the first week of UWG’s preseason practice, head coach Daryl Dickey has no problem with the absence.
“This is a great opportunity for James to be associated with a program such as this,” said Dickey. “He is an extremely worthy candidate, and this experience will be a great learning tool for him as a coach. And it will be a benefit to our program to have James be part of the minority fellowship program.”
Bill Walsh introduced the concept of a minority coaching internship program in 1987 when he brought a group of coaches to the San Francisco 49ers training camp. The program was later picked up by every team in the NFL, and in 2009 was renamed in honor of the later 49ers head coach.
To date, the program has tutored over 1,400 minority coaches. Its list of graduates includes current NFL head coaches Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears), Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals) and Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Also, former New York jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards participated in the program.
Colzie is entering his third season on the West Georgia coaching staff. He serves as the program’s assistant head coach, defensive backs coach, and is special teams coordinator.
