ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- They played football at its highest level -- some for years, some for moments -- and when playing was no longer an option, the game reeled them back in as coaches.
Some were drawn to college football, others to work for a former position coach or head coach in the NFL.
But some returned to the places that launched them, to high school football.
Starting with an NFL database that included the known 545 former NFL players who had coached youth or prep football over the past three decades or so, ESPN's research discovered 169 former NFL players were varsity high school football head coaches during the 2021 season and 175 more were varsity high school assistants, including ESPN's Matt Bowen.