The Philadelphia Eagles today announced that as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship, the team has hired six interns to the 2012 coaching staff. Correll Buckhalter, William Fuller, Don Holmes, Greg Lewis, Corey Peoples, and Montae Reagor will assist the Eagles staff throughout training camp and the preseason. Five of the six coaching interns spent time with the Eagles during their playing careers in the NFL.
"The Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship is great for getting ex-NFL players and guys from college an opportunity to grow professionally and learn more about coaching," said Eagles wide receivers coach David Culley. Culley has been in charge of the hiring the coaching interns since he arrived in Philadelphia in 1999.
Buckhalter joins the staff after playing in 103 games in his career with the Eagles and Denver Broncos. During his time with the Eagles, he racked up 3,085 scrimmage yards and 22 total touchdowns. His 4.53-yard rushing average ranks as the fourth-best ever by an Eagles running back.
Fuller returns to the Eagles as a coaching intern after spending three seasons of his 13-year NFL career in Philadelphia from 1994-96, during which time the defensive end collected 35.5 sacks and three Pro Bowl invitations. He also played for the Houston Oilers (1986-93) and San Diego Chargers (1997-98), finishing his career with 100.5 sacks.
Holmes joins the Eagles as the only coaching intern this year that never spent time playing in Philadelphia. Holmes was a wide receiver in the NFL for five seasons with the Phoenix/St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1985. He posted 25 catches for 413 yards and one touchdown in his career.
Lewis was originally signed by the Eagles in 2003 as an undrafted rookie and went on to play eight NFL seasons (six in Philadelphia), finishing his career with 152 receptions, 1,992 yards and eight touchdowns. He also recorded four receptions for 53 yards and a 30-yard touchdown reception in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Peoples spent training camp with the Eagles in 2005 after signing with the club as an undrafted free agent. He also played safety with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts from 2007-2009.
Reagor played his final NFL season with the Eagles in 2007 after spending eight years with the Denver Broncos (1999-2002) and Indianapolis Colts (2003-06). The former defensive tackle accumulated 17 sacks in his 99-game career.
The Walsh Fellowship is a program that all 32 NFL teams participate in each year. The program's goal is to use each team's training camp and preseason to give talented minority coaches opportunities to observe, participate, gain experience, and seek full-time employment as an NFL coach. Mike Caldwell and Duce Staley are the latest participants of the program to be added to the Eagles full-time coaching staff.
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