Louis Riddick hasn’t worked for an NFL franchise in over a decade, but the Pitt alumnus is looking to get back to work in professional football.
Riddick, 55, interviewed for the New York Jets open general manager job, the organization announced on social media Thursday night. He’s been in contention for GM jobs in recent seasons, including the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans in 2020 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.
The Jets fired now-former general manager Joe Douglas in November, in the midst of a 3-8 start to the season (in the first true season of the Aaron Rodgers era), and the franchise is looking for a new face to lead the way forward — no matter how difficult it may be. The Jets are staring down a potential 4-13 season.
Riddick has been a very prominent “Pitt man” over the last couple of years, calling the 2022 Backyard Brawl on ESPN, returning as the keynote speaker of the Pitt Football Kickoff in 2023 and making another appearance for the 2024 Blue-Gold Spring Game.
He even launched a Pitt apparel line with Mitchell & Ness last year.
“One of the reasons why I think my connection to Pittsburgh has grown since I left here is the fact that I remember how it used to be here before I played here,” Riddick said in April. “My heroes were Dorsett, Green, Marino, Fralic, Julius Dawkins, Sal Sunseri, Carlton Williamson, Lynn Thomas, those were my guys. I was in sixth, seventh grade at the time. Jackie Sherrill, Joe Moore, those were guys I met when I was in grade school.
“It was a team that was always right there, they beat everybody. Lose a game to North Carolina, beat everybody, lose a game that would keep them out of the national title picture, I want to see them get back to that.”
Riddick arrived at Pitt in 1987, starting his career as a running back before switching to defensive back during the last two seasons of his Pitt career. He recorded 175 rushing yards and 57 receiving yards as a freshman before racking up four interceptions in the 1989-90 seasons.
He was named a first-team AP All-East honoree and thrived in the classroom, twice named an Academic All-American.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Riddick with the 248th pick (ninth round) of the 1991 NFL Draft, and he would spend seven seasons in the NFL with the Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
In 94 games, making eight starts, Riddick recorded 155 tackles (68 solo), two sacks and recovered a fumble.
Following his playing days, Louis Riddick has worked in the front office for the Commanders and Eagles — serving as a scout and director of player personnel at both stops — and he has worked at ESPN since 2013.
Part of Riddick’s duties at ESPN included him calling Pitt’s 38-31 win over West Virginia in the revival of the Backyard Brawl last September.
