New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow has high expectations
New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow hopes to continue the momentum the Tigers gained in 2024
- Former Tennessee State and NFL star Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie praises new TSU coach Reggie Barlow’s emphasis on discipline.
- Rodgers-Cromartie believes his own disciplined approach led to his success and thinks Barlow’s system will benefit players.
- Barlow confirms discipline is a core value for his team, impacting both on-field performance and academics.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State football’s most accomplished player in the program’s recent history, has a message for future Tigers.
That message? Be prepared for a disciplined style of play under new TSU football coach Reggie Barlow.
Barlow replaced Eddie George as Tennessee State’s coach on March 23 after George was named the coach at Bowling Green. Rodgers-Cromartie said would have thrived in Barlow’s system because Rodgers-Cromartie depended heavily on discipline to become an All-American cornerback at TSU and put together a 12-year NFL career.
“Athletic ability will only get you so far,” said Rodgers-Cromartie, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who played for six different NFL teams (2008-2019). “You’ve got to hone in, you’ve got to play down-in and down-out, and you’ve got to depend on discipline to stay focused. If you do that, the sky is the limit.”
Rodgers-Cromartie was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in December. He was the first Tiger who has played in the last 35 years to be inducted.
Rodgers-Cromartie was back at TSU on April 12 to serve as captain on the blue team in the the alumni blue and white flag football game as part of the Tigers’ spring game festivities. Rodgers-Cromartie, 39, plays in a full contact 7-on-7, no pads, no helmets football league in Tampa, Florida.
Cromartie said he is in the same physical condition he was when he played in the NFL and credited his discipline on and off the field for keeping him in top shape.
“When coach George left I didn’t think (TSU) was going to be able to get somebody as fast as they did, but I knew they were going to make the right decision,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “Did I think they were going to bring in somebody like coach Barlow? No, no way. But I’m truly glad they did because I know what he stands for and what he’s going to bring to the table.”
Discipline key to new TSU football coach philosophy
Barlow said Rodgers-Cromartie was correct when he said discipline is his chief priority.
“People that know me or know the coaches we’ve had on staff on the teams that we’ve had know that we live by the acronym DASH and the D in DASH is discipline,” Barlow said. “It’s the foundation of who we are and what we stand for. Doing what you’re supposed to do, how you’re supposed to do it, when you do it, ultimately when no one’s watching.”
How will discipline in the program impact the team’s execution and results?
“It correlates to being disciplined out here (on the practice field), to being disciplined in the classroom,” Barlow said. “It’s the same discipline it takes to turn in your assignment on time. We tie all that stuff together and we will be a disciplined team. We won’t be a heavily penalized team because we’re going to make sure that we’re practicing that kind of stuff all the time.”
The Tigers have lost more than 20 players since the end of the season to graduation or the transfer portal so their numbers are down. In lieu of playing a traditional spring game, the Tigers performed agility tests and competed in one-on-one non-contact drills at Hale Stadium.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
