Cincinnati Bengals And Jacksonville Jaguars Connections

The Head Coach Connection

• Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter were teammates at Idaho State (1978-80).
• Lewis was also the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens (2000) with Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, who served as the Ravens linebackers coach.

Former Jaguars/Bengals

• Safety Reggie Nelson (Melbourne, Florida) was drafted in the first round in the first round by the Jaguars and spent three seasons on Jacksonville's roster before being traded on September 4, 2010.
• Linebackers coach Mark Duffner spent six seasons on the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff (1997-2002).
• Bengals assistant defensive coach Pal Guenther was on the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff in 1997.

NFL Connections

• Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio was on the Carolina Panthers coaching staff with Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons in 2002.
• Jaguars tight ends coach Rob Boras was the Chicago Bears tight end coach while Bengals running back Cedric Benson played there.
• Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden was on the same Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff in 2008 with Jaguars wide receivers coach Johnny Cox.
• Jaguars linebackers coach Mark Duffner was the head coach at Maryland with Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle (1994-96).
• Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and defensive backs coach Cory Undlin were at Cleveland when safety Chris Crocker (2005) and quarterback Bruce Gradkowski (2008) played there.

Collegiate Connections

• Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey and Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell and Reggie Nelson were teammates at Florida (Note: Carlos Dunlap arrived two years after Mincey left).
• Bengals running back Brian Leonard and long-snapper Clark Harris were former college teammates with Jaguars safety Courtney Greene at Rutgers.
• Offensive lineman Mike McGlynn was a former college teammate with linebacker Clint Session at Pittsburgh.
• Running back Cedric Peerman was a former college teammate with Jaguars defensive tackle Nate Collins and offensive tackle Eugene Monroe at Virginia.
• Linebacker Dan Skuta was a former college teammate with Jaguars offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield at Grand Valley State.

Bengals Connections with Jacksonville and the Surrounding Region

• Bengals offensive coordinator was the former head coach of the Orlando Predators (1998-01, 2004-08) and the quarterback (2002-03). Gruden would later become the head coach for the Florida Tuskers (2009-10).
• Geno Atkins, Andre Caldwell, Carlos Dunlap, Kelly Jennings, Reggie Nelson, Robert Sands and Pat Sims are all from Florida.
• Keith Rivers is also from Lake Mary, Florida.

Jaguars Connections with Cincinnati and the Surrounding Region

• Fullback Brock Bolen (Germantown, Valley View High) and wide receiver Cecil Shorts III (Cleveland, Collinwood High, Mount Union) are from Ohio.
• General Manager Gene Smith (Mooresville, Ohio) attended Heidelberg University and began his coaching career at Ohio University.
• Defensive lineman C.J. Mosley is from Fort Knox, Kentucky.
• Offensive lineman Jason Spitz played at Louisville.
• Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker attended Cleveland Heights High and coached at the Ohio State University (2001-04) and Miami University (1999).
• Defensive assistant Craig Aukerman was a linebackers coach (2005-08) at Miami University and Kent State (2009).
• Quarterbacks coach Mike Sheppard spent four seasons with the Bengals (2007-10).