Del Rio was a four-year starter at the University of Southern California, where he earned consensus All-American honors as a senior and was runner-up for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s best lineman or linebacker. Named co-MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl, Del Rio recorded 340 career defensive stops, including 58 tackles for a loss. A standout catcher on the USC baseball team, Del Rio was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981.
He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in May 2015.
Del Rio was a three-sport star in football, baseball and basketball at Hayward (Calif.) High School. He earned a degree in political science from the University of Kansas while playing for the Chiefs.
Del Rio earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Kansas in 1990 while he was a player for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2015, Del Rio was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 2019, Del Rio worked as an analyst for ESPN.
His son, Luke, was a college football quarterback for the Florida Gators in the mid 2010s and is an offensive quality control coach for the Washington Commanders.
Del Rio is best known during his decades as an NFL coach for his relative success as the successor to Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville, but it was long before then when the current Washing Redskins defensive coordinator made a name for himself on the gridiron.
What is the Hall of Fame?
A hall of fame is a type of museum where people can see things relating to famous people who are connected with a particular area of activity.
