In his first stint with the Mountaineers, Rich Rodriguez was able to put together some dynamic rosters. These rosters were full of raw talent and potential, creating some of the most iconic teams and players that Mountaineer fans know today. So where are some of those players now?
Handing it off to the offensive side of the ball, former running back Steve Slaton is now a chef. The third-round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2008 Draft lasted five years in professional football before he decided to retire and enroll in culinary school. The College Football Hall of Fame inductee now prepares meals for professional athletes to keep their bodies in shape.
If Slaton was not in the backfield, then fullback Owen Schmitt was. Schmitt was a fifth-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2008 NFL Draft and had a solid four career in the NFL before retiring in 2012. In 2013, Schmitt partnered with the Davisson Brothers Band and opened “Schmitt’s Saloon and Davisson Brothers Band Music Hall” in Morgantown, West Virginia. However, that business closed, and since then, Schmitt has taken on the role of the assistant coach at Greenbrier West High School in Charmco, West Virginia.
Another player who really excelled at the running back position was Quincy Wilson. In 44 games at West Virginia, Wilson totaled 474 rushing attempts, 2,608 yards, and 20 touchdowns on the ground. Now, Wilson is the head coach of the Weir High Red Riders football team, his alma mater.
The all-time leading rusher in program history for the Mountaineers, Avon Cobourne, was a product of Rich Rodriguez’s 2002 “Continental Tire Bowl” season. Cobourne was a four-year starter and four-time All-Big East selection from 1999 to 2002. He set WVU records for rushing yards in a season tallying 1,710 rushing yards, career rushing yards at 5,164, and most 100-yard games in a season totaling 10 games marking this milestone. Cobourne has a degree in marketing from West Virginia University and now he is a businessman, operating and acting as president of “Pre-Game Enterprises”, a sporting goods company based out of Charleston, West Virginia.
On the football field, you need the guy who is not only going to hand off the ball but run the ball as well. Pat White was a sensational quarterback for the Mountaineers, tallying over 6,000 passing yards and over 4,000 yards rushing. After a prolonged football career, White returns to Morgantown and is now the assistant quarterbacks coach on Rich Rodriguez’s coaching staff.
Rasheed Marshall was another dual-threat quarterback who excelled in Rich Rodriguez’s offensive scheme. Marshall was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Fransisco 49ers and spent one year with the 49ers as a wide receiver. Now Marshall is back at West Virginia University and is the Director of Player Relations for the football team.
In order to be as dominant on the offensive side of the ball as the Mountaineers were, both the running backs and the Quarterbacks needed protection. Selvish Capers was a starting right tackle for the Mountaineers, who earned the starting role in mid-2007 and played in multiple bowl games, including the 2006 Sugar Bowl and 2008 Fiesta Bowl. In 2008, he started all 13 games, played over 775 snaps, helped the team achieve the No. 15 rushing offense, and earned preseason honors as one of the nation’s top offensive linemen. The Super Bowl XLVI Champion is now a Talent Sourcer for DoorDash and is the Founder and President of the Athletes Forward Foundation.
The Mountaineers were strong on the offensive side of the ball but were also well-equipped to handle challenges on the defensive side of the ball as well. Scooter Berry was a standout defensive player who earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST preseason third team and played in multiple bowl games, including the 2006 Gator, 2007 Fiesta, and 2008 Meineke Bowls. Throughout his career, he consistently made an impact, recording 34 tackles in 2008 and 27 in 2007 while helping his team maintain strong national defensive rankings with key plays like fumble recoveries, tackles for loss, and sacks. Berry is now a car salesman and accomplished business man at Tom Busch Motors, a BMW dealership.
All of these players took different avenues to find success on and off the football field, but there is no doubt that the lessons Rich Rodriguez taught them along with the values he instilled in them is what helped them achieve real-world success outside of football.
