Jackson State football hires Chris Orr as inside linebackers coach

Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor hired former pro football player Chris Orr as the Tigers' inside linebackers coach on Wednesday.

Orr played in three games at linebacker in the 2020 NFL season for the Carolina Panthers.  He also played in 2022 for the USFL's New Jersey Generals, who selected him in the 21st round of the USFL Draft .He had 81 tackles and 2.5 sacks that season. Orr was on the roster of the UFL's Birmingham Stallions this spring but was placed on the team's retired list in March.

Orr also has served as director of player development at Wisconsin, his alma mater, in 2021.

Orr was an inside linebacker at Wisconsin from 2016-2019, starting 30 of the 51 games in which he played. He finished his college career with 188 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, eight pass deflections, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. His 11.5 sacks during his senior season were the most in a season by an inside linebacker in school history.

Orr comes from a football family. His father, Terry Orr, played tight end and was a two-time Super Bowl champion (1988, 1992) with the Washington Redskins. His brother, Zach Orr, is the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

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Orr has a bachelor’s degree in life science communication and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis.

TyQuan Hammock, who coached linebackers at Jackson State in 2023, announced March 25 that he had been hired as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Long Island University. Jackson State announced March 4 that former Tigers two-time All-American Javancy Jones had been hired as outside linebackers coach.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State football hires Chris Orr as inside linebackers coach