Where are they now?: Damon Pieri

Damon Pieri was never given anything as a player.

He was named All-State as a defensive back and running back at St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix, Arizona, but was not recruited by any Division I schools and went to Phoenix Junior College, where he earned all-conference honors.

Pieri transferred after one year to San Diego State, and was All-WAC at safety and cornerback his final two seasons, but went undrafted in the 1993 NFL Draft.

“To be honest, I wasn’t even expecting to be drafted. I was just hoping and praying that I would get a tryout,” Pieri said. “And when the draft ended, my phone started ringing. The Giants, the Redskins, the Patriots and other teams were trying to sign me (as a free agent).

“And my agent was pushing me to sign with the Jets: ‘We think you have the best chance of making the team in New York. ‘ I’m in college and I don’t pay much attention to NFL rosters, so I looked and thought it was pretty crowded. I might have some trouble making this team. But I signed there anyway.”

The Jets were really well equipped. Pieri was one of 15 defensive backs on their preseason roster.

With so many competing to make the team, on a good day during training camp, he would take the field for one or two plays during a drill or practice. On a really good day, neither head coach Bruce Coslet nor defensive coordinator Pete Carroll would notice him for the wrong reason and tell him to turn in his playbook, pack his bags and go home.

“I was playing fourth-team safety and occasionally I got some opportunities at cornerback,” Pieri said. “You don’t really know the business of the NFL. You don’t realize that once you’re signed, you can be cut whenever you want. I saw a couple of guys who showed up to minicamp and all of a sudden they were gone.

“So, I told myself, ‘I have to prove that I’m versatile, that I can play multiple positions. Maybe even special teams to have a chance. I wasn’t really sure if I could do it.'”

Pieri couldn’t have moved his arms without hitting another defender who was also a little unsure if they could make it and make the team. But perhaps unlike those others, Pieri tried to improve his chances by seeking advice from some of his veteran teammates.

“The starters, you knew who they were: Ronnie Lott, Brian Washington, James Hasty. If you asked them questions, they would help you,” Pieri said. “But you’re a rookie and you’re a little nervous to ask questions. You could tell that other than the starters, the other players were a little afraid to help you. They’re second-tier players you’re competing with. But I especially remember Ronnie Lott helping me out a lot.”

While Lott’s suggestions likely helped, Pieri still had to prove himself. And he did. The same defensive back who wasn’t drafted out of high school or whose name wasn’t called during the draft turned out to be the only undrafted player on the Jets’ opening day roster.

“There was another really good undrafted defender, Victor Green, and he had a tremendous camp. I was a little surprised that I was the guy that started on the active roster instead of him, because he ended up having a really good career. He played for like 10 or 11 years,” Pieri said.

“They put Victor Green on the practice squad and put me on the active roster because I thought maybe they needed a special teams gunner, somebody on the wing to help cover punts, and he was probably a little more suited to that position.

“I played five games and then there were some injuries and we got moved to another team. I always thought it was weird to be on the active roster right from the start, so I wasn’t too upset about it. It is what it is. I felt good about being on the practice squad. I needed more experience and I was happy to get to the NFL and get paid. So I was a little disappointed to be moved down, but it wasn’t the end of the world.”

Pieri’s world had some ups and downs the following season. After turning heads with a strong performance during training camp, he broke his ankle in the Jets’ preseason opener against Detroit.

“For me, that was pretty much the end,” Pieri said. “When you’re at the bottom of the squad and you get injured, they move on quickly. They give you an injury settlement and they put you back on track.”

While an injury slowed his career before he could hit third gear, what does Pieri remember most about his time with the Jets?

“I was 185 pounds and there were a lot of people, non-believers, telling me, ‘Hey, you’re not big enough,'” he said. “And I was always like, ‘Well, yeah, maybe I’m not big enough, but I can hit hard enough and I can run good enough. I can run with these guys. I can hit with these guys.’ And maybe I’m not absolutely big, you know, 185 pounds soaking wet, but I always had it in the back of my mind that I had to play big.”

After spending some time with San Francisco, Pieri was old enough to play the 1996 and 1997 seasons with Carolina before retiring in 1998. And though he didn’t realize it at the time, Pieri began establishing his post-playing career while still playing.

Returning home to Phoenix during the offseason, Pieri coached at Sunnyslope High School, where he met up with his head coach and former NFL player, Dallas Hickman.

“He said, ‘Hey, when you’re done playing, why don’t you come help me coach?’ I just kind of brushed it off. I wasn’t interested at all. I had a degree in criminal justice and I was thinking maybe I could be a cop or a private investigator or something,” Pieri said.

“Well, when I got done playing, I thought I’d better think about what I was going to do. And I started substitute teaching at the local high school where I used to coach. I ran into Dallas Hickman again, and he said, “Hey, why don’t you help me coach?” So that’s what I decided to do. I would be a substitute teacher and coach. And then the principal brought me in and said, “We want you to teach here, too.”

“So I went and got my teaching certification and helped out a little bit with the varsity team. But I mainly managed the youth team until I got the job as head football coach.

“This is my 25th year, and I never thought I’d end up teaching. And I never thought I’d end up teaching for this long. But I really enjoyed my time as a head coach. I was a head coach for about 10 years, and then I thought, ‘I had two kids, and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to coach them. ‘ And then when my youngest son graduated, I said, ‘You know what? I think I’m done. ‘”

That was four years ago. In total, Pieri coached soccer at Sunnyslope for 21 years. And he’s still there teaching physical education and coaching the boys’ tennis team.

Pieri and his wife, Jenny, reside in Phoenix and have two daughters, Samantha and Molly; two sons, Ben and Jack; and will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next year.