Coaches

Shawn Jefferson is in his seventh season coaching with the Lions. He was named wide receivers coach prior to the 2008 season after working with the team's wide receivers the previous three seasons as a coaching intern in 2005, an offensive assistant in 2006 and as the assistant wide receivers coach in 2007. Jefferson spent the 2003 season with the Lions as a player and brings 13 years of NFL playing experience to the club.

LIONS COACHING HIGHLIGHTS: Jefferson's work with WR Calvin Johnson continues to pay dividends. Johnson finished the season as the team's leader in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,120) and touchdowns (12) and was the team's leading receiver for a third straight year. Johnson was named to his first Pro Bowl and was honored as second-team all-pro.

• Johnson finished seventh in the NFL (second in the NFC) in scoring (non-kickers) with 74 points (12 TDs and a 2-pt conversion). He was also ninth in the league in receiving yards (fourth in NFC) and was tied for 15th in receptions (ninth in NFC).
• Johnson was also tied for second in the NFL (tied for first in the NFC) with 12 touchdown catches.
• With 270 career receptions and 4,191 receiving yards, Johnson is the all-time leader among Detroit receivers in their first four seasons with the Lions.
• Free agent WR Nate Burleson was added to the wide receiver group in 2010 and gave the team another playmaker on the outside. He finished with 55 catches for 625 yards and six touchdowns. His 55 receptions and six touchdowns were the third highest in his first eight seasons.

Jefferson helped Johnson breakout as one of the NFL's best receivers in 2008 as he tied for first in touchdown receptions (12), fifth in the league in receiving yards (1,331), tied for first in receiving touchdowns (12) and second in yards per reception (17.1)catch among receivers with 60 or more receptions,receptions (17.1), tied for second in 20+-yard receptions (21), tied for second in 40+-yard receptions (7) and tied for first in 25+-yard touchdown catches (6). Johnson was also named an alternate to the 2009 NFC Pro Bowl squad.

In the Lions record books, Johnson became only the second player in team history (WR Herman Moore in 1995) to record 70 receptions, 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in a single season. He is the only player in Lions' history to record 1,300 yards with less than 80 catches. His 12 touchdowns (2008, 2010) tied for the most touchdown grabs (Leon Hart in 1951) by a first or second year player with the Lions and his 1,331 receiving yards are the second-most in team history by a first or second year player.

In 2007, the Detroit Lions were the only team in the NFL and the first in franchise history to have four different players finish with more than 650 receiving yards (Shaun McDonald, 943; Roy Williams, 836; Calvin Johnson, 756; Mike Furrey, 664). Detroit's wide receiving unit was also second in the NFL in receptions (268) and receiving yards (3,370). While working as an offensive assistant in 2006, Jefferson helped WR Roy Williams to a NFC-leading and career-high 1,310 receiving yards. He also worked with the NFC's receptions leader Mike Furrey (98 receptions for 1,082 yards). It was the first time since 1999 that two Lions receivers finished with more than 1,000 yards.

In addition to his time with the Lions as a player, Jefferson spent five seasons with San Diego, four with New England and three with Atlanta, accumulating over 7,000 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns. Jefferson also played in Super Bowl XXIX with the Chargers and Super Bowl XXXI with the Patriots.

Jumping right into the coaching ranks following his playing career, Jefferson spent the 2004 season as a volunteer coach with his high school alma mater, William Raines H.S. During his tenure at William Raines, he spent the month of June with the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of the team's Scouting Seminar.

Jefferson attended Central Florida where he starred as a wide receiver and kick returner. Jefferson finished with 67 catches, 1,087 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a returner, Jefferson returned 39 kickoffs for 782 yards (20.1 avg.). Jefferson and his wife Marla, have two daughters, Paige and Faith, and a son, Shawn Jr.