Florida Assistant, Former DL Sharrif Floyd Hired by Dallas Cowboys

Former Florida defensive lineman and first-round pick Sharrif Floyd, who was recently a student assistant for the Gators, is heading back to the pros as a coach.

Former Florida defensive lineman, turned first-round pick, turned Gators student assistant Sharrif Floyd was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as the team's assistant defensive line coach on Thursday, according to Field Yates and Todd Archer of ESPN.

Floyd will also take on defensive quality control duties with the Cowboys, rounding out the responsibilities for his young career's first full-time coaching role. 

Floyd, 31, spent three seasons with the Gators from 2010-12, signing with the program under Urban Meyer and finishing his career under Will Muschamp. He produced 115 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup across 37 career appearances, earning All-American honors before declaring for the 2013 NFL Draft as a junior.

Selected No. 23 overall by Minnesota, Floyd immediately took on a rotational role on the Vikings' defensive line and ended up inheriting a starting role by his second season. 

He only made it through three in full, though. A right knee injury suffered in Week 1 of the 2016 campaign required a surgical operation that, Floyd alleges, derailed his playing career.

Floyd filed a $180 million medical malpractice lawsuit against orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic Surgery, Gulf Breeze Hospital and eight other defendants in Nov. 2018, according to Sports Illustrated. He claimed to have suffered debilitating muscle and nerve damage as a result of an "unpermitted and invasive knee surgery" that he did not consent to and "negligent administration of a pain blocker."

It has been reported that Floyd and Andrews reached an undisclosed settlement in the lawsuit and that Floyd filed suit against several insurance services for $10 million in shortfalls in early 2023.

In 44 appearances with 24 starts, Floyd tallied 95 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four pass breakups in his NFL career. 

While he contemplated what to do next, sidelined from the game he loved, Floyd began high school coaching in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pa. Eventually, former Gators head coach Dan Mullen came calling with volunteer opportunities and, eventually, a scholarship for Floyd to continue pursuing his degree where he started it.

Floyd maintained his role as a student-assistant coach under Mullen's replacement, Billy Napier, in 2022.

"Sharrif’s been nothing but first class since I've been here. He’s back earning his degree. Guy’s got a bright future in football and was an exceptional player," Napier said of Floyd last August. "I think he's got a character. I think he understands the big picture, takes pride in his role, and certainly, him being able to coach on the field I think is an advantage for players.

"This guy's a first-round pick. He played a number of years in the league and has a good understanding of the fundamentals of that position. So he'll play a critical role in the practice format going forward."

In between the 2022 semesters, Floyd held an internship with Dallas as a part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, working under his former defensive coordinator and line coach at UF, Dan Quinn. Clearly, Floyd impressed Quinn and the Cowboys' management during his time at The Star in Frisco. 

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Get your Gators football, basketball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.