Antwaan Randle El enters his fourth season with the Lions as wide receivers coach in 2024. He joined the Lions in 2021 after spending two seasons (2019-20) as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helping the team capture Super Bowl LV.
Under Randle El's guidance in 2023, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown put together a memorable season as he became just the third Lions wide receiver since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to be named First-Team AP All-Pro. Among all NFL players in 2023, St. Brown ranked first in 100-yard receiving games (nine), tied-for-second in receptions (119), third in receiving yards (1,515) and tied-for-fourth in receiving touchdowns (10). St. Brown also ranked first in the NFL in receiving yards after the catch (677) and was third in receiving first downs (75). In 2023, St. Brown's 100-yard games totals and receptions totals were both the third-most in a single season in team history while his receiving yardage was the fourth-most.
Randle El has played a critical role in St. Brown's historic start to his NFL career since entering the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2021. Among all NFL players through three-career seasons, St. Brown ranks third in receptions (315), tied-for-third in receiving first downs (191) and eighth in receiving yards (3,588). He joins WR Herman Moore as the only Lions to produce multiple 100-catch seasons and is one-of-five players in NFL history to produce multiple seasons with 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards through a player's first three-career seasons. He also made the Pro Bowl following the 2022-23 seasons, becoming the first Lions wideout to be selected to consecutive Pro Bowls since Hall of Fame WR Calvin Johnson (2014-15).
While helping the Lions reach new heights in 2023, which included the team's first divisional title in 30 years and the team's second-ever appearance in an NFC Championship game, Randle El helped the Lions' receiving corps rank fifth among all NFL wide receiver units in receiving yards (3,060), fifth in receiving yards after the catch (1,196), fifth in receiving yards after contact (463) and sixth in receiving first downs (146).
In 2022, Randle El oversaw a prolific wide receiver corps that finished top 10 in receptions (383), receiving yards (4,444), receiving first downs (228), receiving touchdowns (29), receptions of over 25 yards (35) and yards after catch (2,217). Under Randle El's direction, the Lions were one of five teams to have six players record over 350 receiving yards. St. Brown became the first wide receiver in franchise history to earn a Pro Bowl selection within a player's first two-career seasons after producing 106 receptions for 1,161 yards (11.0 avg.) and six touchdowns. Over the 2021-22 seasons, St. Brown tied an NFL record by producing at least eight receptions in eight-straight games.
In 2021, Randle El's mentorship helped turn St. Brown into an instant impact rookie. He finished the 2021 season with 90 receptions for 912 yards (10.1 avg), both the most for a rookie in Lions history. In his first NFL season, St. Brown had six-straight games with at least eight receptions, the longest streak in team history and the longest by a rookie in NFL history.
During Randle El's tenure in Tampa, Tampa's offense ranked first in passing yards (9,471) and passing touchdowns (75), second in points scored (950), and third in total offense (12,511).
Working primarily with Tampa Bay's wide receivers, he helped WR Mike Evans post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and guided WR Chris Godwin (1,333) to his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2019. Evans ranked third in the NFL with 21 receiving touchdowns over the 2019-20 seasons and in that same span, Buccaneers wide receivers produced 55 receiving touchdowns, the most by any team's wide receiver corps.
As a player, Randle El originally entered the NFL as a second-round draft selection (62nd overall) with the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Indiana in the 2002 NFL Draft. In nine years split with Pittsburgh and Washington, he appeared in 143 career games (71 starts) and logged 370 receptions for 4,467 yards (12.1 avg.) and 15 touchdowns along with 438 rushing yards, 323 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. Additionally, Randle El added 4,316 yards and six touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns.
In Super Bowl XL, the only Super Bowl to be played at Ford Field, Randle El threw a 43-yard touchdown to WR Hines Ward in the fourth quarter, the final points in Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The trick play stands as one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history.
He entered the NFL following a noteworthy career at Indiana, appearing on the Hoosiers' basketball and baseball teams in addition to starring on the gridiron. Randle El was the 2001 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, left college as the FBS' all-time leading rusher for a quarterback, became the first FBS quarterback to account for 7,000 passing yards and 3,500 rushing yards and was the first FBS player with 40 career passing touchdowns and 40 career rushing touchdowns. The Big Ten's Freshman of the Year Award is named in his honor.
A native of Riverdale, Ill., Randle El was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the 1997 MLB Draft.
He is married to his wife, Jaune, and they have six children.
