Andre Rison poses with Flint Mayor Dayne Walling after Rison was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Flint Community Schools have named former all-pro NFL wide receiver Andre Rison the next head coach of the Northwestern High School football team.
Rison, who graduated from Northwestern in 1985, said he is excited about the opportunity to teach and mentor youth at his alma mater while improving the overall competitiveness of the program.
“It was always a dream to coach at my former high school. It’s an opportunity to teach and mentor youth here in the City of Flint,” said Rison. “It’s bigger than any individual accomplishment.”
Rison said he will draw on his experiences of playing at the highest levels of the game as well as the bonds that he forged with coaches and other mentors to help him prepare young men for success. He added that his experiences away from the game will serve as valuable teaching tools as well.
“It’s not just about football, but about life,” he said. “Football is not the only goal.”
Rison said he hopes to instill a strong sense of competitiveness in the classroom and leadership among his players.
On the field, he said the Northwestern Wildcats “will win, and we will win big.”
Northwestern Athletic Director Jeff Whiteley said Rison is an excellent choice for the position.
“Anyone with that much NFL experience knows football,” said Whiteley. “He went through the Flint Community Schools’ system, grew up in Flint, and has talked extensively about the mentors here who shaped his life.”
“That’s a big plus for us and we’re excited,” Whiteley added. “The kids are excited, too. They know his background are excited that he’s coming on board.”
Rison helped the Wildcats’ football team capture a share of the Valley title in 1982 and the school’s basketball teams win back-to-back Class A state championships in 1983-84 and ‘84-85.
He played football at Michigan State from 1985-88 where he helped the Spartans win the 1987 Big Ten Conference title and the 1988 Rose Bowl.
Rison was a first-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1989 and later went on to play for NFL teams in Atlanta, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland over 12 seasons. He won a Super Bowl championship with the Green Bay Packers in 1996 and played in five Pro Bowls. He also played a season in the Canadian Football League with Toronto where he won the CFL’s Grey Cup championship.
