Aug 9, 2008; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis (26) celebrates his first quarter touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during a preseason game at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images James Lang-Imagn Images

Former Washington running back Clinton Portis is coming back to football

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By David Harrison | Last updated Feb 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Former Washington running back Clinton Portis is coming home again, back to the sport that helped him earn the love and cheers of DMV fans during the early 2000s.

Portis came to Washington via trade ahead of the 2004 NFL Season following a Pro Bowl season with the Denver Broncos in his second year in the league.

From there, he'd spend seven more seasons playing in the league, earning another Pro Bowl appearance in 2008 and rushing for over 6,000 yards wearing burgundy and gold.

The last time he played in an NFL game was 2010, so it has been a minute. However, with the announcement that he'll join former teammate DeSean Jackson's staff at Delaware State, Portis is getting back to ball.

Portis will serve as Jackson's running backs coach and run game coordinator, it was announced. Jackson himself was introduced as the team's head coach in December.

The two are just the latest former NFL stars to join the coaching ranks among historically Black universities. Before them, Deion Sanders led Jackson State, eventually leading to his being hired by the University of Colorado where he is currently.

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is now the coach of Norfolk State while former running back Eddie George is at Tennessee State.

For Portis, the return to football is more than just a job but a chance to get things back on track in his post-NFL life after serving his sentence for committing health care fraud by defrauding a league program designed to reimburse certain medical expenses.

Jackson, Portis, and Delaware State will host Vick and Norfolk State for a game on November 1st, 2025.