Sean Spence
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NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Sean Spence will join the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff.
Former linebacker Sean Spence once entered the NFL as a third-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s now officially back in the league as an assistant coach.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported this weekend the Los Angeles Chargers plan to hire Spence as their inside linebackers coach.
“Spence, a former NFL player, most recently coached at Western Michigan and at the Senior Bowl,” wrote Schultz. “Under his guidance, Nadame Tucker led the country in sacks and TFLs this past season.”
Jordan Schultz
Sources: The #Chargers are hiring Sean Spence as their new inside linebackers coach.
Spence, a former NFL player, most recently coached at Western Michigan and at the Senior Bowl. Under his guidance, Nadame Tucker led the country in sacks and TFLs this past season.
Spence played his first four NFL seasons with the Steelers from 2012-15. After a season and a half in the AFC South, Spence then returned to Pittsburgh at the end of his playing career.
In 2023, Spence started coaching at Western Michigan. The insider linebackers position with the Chargers will be his first NFL coaching role.
Chargers Set to Hire Former Steelers LB Sean Spence: Report
Expectations were mildly high for Spence when he entered the league as the 11th linebacker off the 2012 draft board. But a knee injury in the 2012 preseason essentially sidelined Spence for two full seasons.
Spence finally made his NFL debut during Week 1 of the 2014 season.
The linebacker finished his rookie contract in Pittsburgh. Over two campaigns, he posted 90 combined tackles, including seven tackles for loss and two sacks in 31 games. Spence started 13 of those contests, including nine in 2014.
For the 2016 season, Spence joined the Tennessee Titans. He then signed with the Indianapolis Colts at the start of 2017. Spence didn’t make the Colts initial roster that year but re-joined the game for the second half of September.
About two months after his Colts release in October, he joined the Steelers again after Ryan Shazier suffered his horrific neck injury against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Spence started the final four games of the 2017 regular season. He posted 19 combined tackles, including one tackle for loss with a sack. But he then never played in the league again after the team’s playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Spence ended his career playing 53 contests, 35 of which with the Steelers. Overall, he registered 163 combined tackles, including 10 for loss with six sacks.
The Steelers drafted Spence from the Miami Hurricanes. At Miami, the linebacker posted 46 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception.