Marc Trestman is considered one of football’s great minds when it comes to QB whispering as he has played a hand in many a great QB’s ascensions or been on the coaching staff as of their rise.
After being unable to wrest the starting QB job at Minnesota, Marc Trestman transferred to Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
Unsigned, he spent camp with the Vikings in ’79 and ’80 as a defensive back but didn’t crack the lineup.
He began his college coaching career at Miami (FL) in 1981, and by ’83 was serving as the team’s QB coach.
Then in 1985, Trestman embarked on a series of stops as a positional coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL (Vikings, Browns, 49ers, Lions, Cardinals, Raiders, and Dolphins).
After a brief stop at NC State in 2005-’06, Trestman returned to the NFL as a consultant with the New Orleans Saints in 2007.
It’d be in late 2007 that Marc really carved out a name for himself as he was hired as HC of the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.
Paired with GM Jim Popp, Marc’s Alouette teams won back to back CFL Grey Cups in 2009 and 2010.
By 2012, Trestman was garnering NFL attention, and in 2013 he was hired as the Chicago Bears head coach.
Trestman was the first coach since Bud Grant to jump from the CFL to the NFL.
He’d finish his rookie head coaching season 8-8 as the Bears would break multiple offensive team records.
Unfortunately he’d not see the same success in 2014, as the team slid to 5-11.
After a stop in Baltimore as their OC in 205/’16, Marc returned to the CFL where he had the most success.
Reunited with Jim Popp – this time in Toronto, where the Argos pulled off a worst to first, winning the Great Cup in 2017.
He’d be fired after the 2018 season.
Marc hopped on over to the XFL 2020, where he coached the Tampa Bay Vipers to a 1-4 record before COVID took down the league.
After a long hiatus, Trestman was hired by Jim Harbaugh to be an assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
ACCOLADES:
CFL Coach of the Year 2009, ’17
NOTES:
I was interested in learning more about Marc and I thought the best way to do so was to see his offensive mind at work, so I asked him to diagram up a play with his autograph. He. Did. Not. Instead I got a note, which I thought was a bit snarky, wishing me luck with whatever I do with the autograph, or something like that. Okay dude.
Card: Topps AAF 2019 Acquired: IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks/ Tampa Vipers Joint Practice
As the Tampa Vipers sauntered off the field from the joint practice, I caught Reggie Northup and got his autograph. He was kind enough to flag down Obum Gwacham for me. Then Reggie ribbed Obum saying to him, “I didn’t even know you had a card or played for the Hotshots!”, As they both laughed heartily. Obum played 2020 for the Tampa Vipers. After battling through injuries early on, he posted 7 tackles and a sack.
Originally a 6th round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, Obum saw stints with New Orleans (2015-2016), the Cardinals and Jets (2017), and Colts (2019). He played in 2019 for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football, posting 16 total tackles and 2 sacks in 8 games.
Card: Topps AAF 2019 Acquired: IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks / Tampa Bay Vipers Joint Practice See Also: Reggie Northrup II
After the AAF folded, Reggie’s football dreams did not end. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Vipers during the XFL 2020 draft.
When I heard that the Vipers and Roughnecks were doing a joint practice, Reggie was one of the top players I was after. I wasn’t sure if he’d be a viable TTM candidate due to his pending litigation against the former AAF. I thought perhaps he might have sour grapes over even signing autographs- so in person was the way to go.
Reggie stayed after the joint practice to work the kids clinic. I loved his energy, how he smiled, and had fun with all the kids. He made them each feel special. It so moved me that it made me wish that these sort of initiatives existed when I was a child, and that my father had taken me to one.
After the clinic ended Reggie and a few other players retrieved their backpacks and equipment that they had left stashed by the visitor’s wall. I caught him on the way out, and he beamed when I asked him for his autograph on his AAF card. He excitedly pointed out to his teammates that I had his card, and then when I asked him if he knew where Obum Gwacham was, he flagged him down for me! Then Reggie jokingly leaned in and said, “I didn’t even know he played for the Hotshots.” It was a great experience, and we wished each other the best and that the AAF didn’t need to end the way it did.
Reggie was on and off the roster of the Tampa Bay Vipers throughout the short 5 week season. His litigation against the former AAF is still pending.
With how things have happened since then with COVID, which occurred a month or two after this event, it seems so long ago now how I was able to go to public events like this and get autographs.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
