Darrell Bevell

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Darrell Bevell bigraphy, stories - American football player and coach

Darrell Bevell : biography

January 6, 1970 –

Darrell Bevell (born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since the 2011 season. Bevell played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was a four-year starting quarterback.

After graduating from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bevell redshirted as a freshman quarterback at Northern Arizona University. At the time, Brad Childress was NAU’s offensive coordinator. Bevell then embarked on a two-year LDS mission to Cleveland, Ohio. Bevell received scholarship offers from NAU and Utah, but he decided to join Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s football program had struggled for many years, but Bevell was named starting quarterback in 1993 and he promptly led the team to a surprising "Cinderella" season. The 1993 Badgers finished the year with a 10–1–1 record, becoming co-champions of the Big Ten and securing the school’s first Rose Bowl invitation since 1963. They ended the season by defeating UCLA Bruins 21–16 in the 1994 Rose Bowl. It was the school’s first-ever Rose Bowl victory. In the fourth quarter of that game, with Wisconsin clinging to a 14–10 lead, Bevell made the most memorable play of his college career. Not known for his running ability, Bevell scrambled 21 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

The following season, Bevell again guided the Badgers to a winning season. They defeated the Duke Blue Devils 34–20 in the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, giving Wisconsin back-to-back bowl wins for the first time ever. Bevell finished his career with several school records, including most passing yards in a single game (423) and in a career (7,686).

After going undrafted in the 1995 NFL Draft, Bevell began a career in coaching, including stints at Westmar University (Le Mars, IA), Iowa State University, and the University of Connecticut.

In 2000, Bevell was hired by the Green Bay Packers as an offensive assistant. In 2003, he was promoted to quarterbacks coach, where he worked with Brett Favre. In 2006, Childress was hired as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and he brought Bevell to his team as offensive coordinator.