UNI football fans might recognize a familiar face on the Panther sideline this fall. UNI alum and former NFL All-Pro Bryce Paup has joined the Panther coaching staff this fall after several seasons as a head coach of a high school in Green Bay. Paup says that so far he’s been mostly impressed by approach of the UNI players.
“For me, it’s great to see the attitude of these guys, because I’ve been around bigger schools and I’ve seen the differences in the attitude,” Paup says. Paup says he saw UNI as a good time and place to move into the college coaching ranks. He says his younger son was done playing and the timing was right from him to do this.
Paup says he isn’t sure how much his NFL experience impresses the current Panthers, but says it might mean more that he came from UNI. “If a guy came back to UNI when I was playing, that gave me more confidence,” Paup says.
Panther defensive lineman Xavier Williams says he was excited when he heard Paup was joining the staff. He says nothing sounds better than having a former player come back and coach. Williams says Paup has all kinds of experience and awards to back up the things he says as a coach.
Paup played ten seasons in the NFL as a member of the Packers, Bills, Jaguars, and Vikings. He was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1995.
By Jesse Gavin KCNZ Cedar Falls