- Joined Packers on March 7, 2008, as defensive quality control coach. Promoted to cornerbacks coach on Feb. 3, 2009.
- Since taking over as cornerbacks coach in ’09, the Packers have registered a league-high 85 interceptions, the most by the club over a three-year span since it recorded 95 INTs from 1943-45, with 43 of the 85 INTs coming from Whitt’s cornerbacks, the most in the league by a cornerback group over that span.
- Tutored CB Tramon Williams as he earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2010 and veteran CB Charles Woodson on his way to earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors from The Associated Press in 2009. Woodson also has earned a Pro Bowl bid each season under Whitt and twice been named first-team All-Pro.
- Under Whitt’s guidance, both Woodson and Williams have produced single-season career highs in all major categories.
- Has five years of college coaching experience.
- Played collegiately and coached as a student assistant at Auburn, where his father, Joe Sr., was on the coaching staff.
Entering his sixth season in the NFL, Joe Whitt Jr. begins his fifth with the Green Bay Packers and fourth in his position of secondary – cornerbacks coach.
Originally named defensive quality control coach on March 7, 2008, by Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the 34-year-old Whitt was promoted to cornerbacks coach on Feb. 3, 2009.
Whitt came to Green Bay after one year with the Atlanta Falcons as assistant defensive backs coach. He coached the previous five years in the college ranks, beginning with the 2002 season as wide receivers coach at The Citadel, followed by a four-year stint as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville.
In 2011, the Packers led the league in interceptions (31) for the second time in the past three seasons, with 17 of those picks coming from Whitt’s cornerbacks. Green Bay was the only team in the NFL to have three cornerbacks each register four or more interceptions (Charles Woodson, seven; Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, four each).
The 31 interceptions by the team this past season brought the three-year total since ’09, Whitt’s first season as cornerbacks coach, to 85. It marked the most by the Packers over a three-year period since 1943-45 (95 INTs) and the most by an NFL team since Minnesota and San Francisco each posted 86 INTs from 1986-88. Of those 85 INTs, 43 of them came courtesy of Whitt’s cornerbacks, the most in the league by a cornerback group over that span.
Woodson’s seven interceptions in 2011 tied him for the league lead as he earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl bid, the first Green Bay cornerback to do so since Herb Adderley (1963-67), as well as first-team All-Pro recognition from The Associated Press. Woodson also posted two sacks in 2011 as he became the first cornerback in franchise annals (since 1982) to register two-plus sacks in four consecutive seasons.
Under Whitt’s tutelage in 2011, Tramon Williams registered career highs with 65 tackles and a team-leading 24 passes defensed. Williams’ four interceptions gave him four or more picks for the fourth straight season, the only non-drafted player in the NFL to accomplish that feat over that span. Second-year CB Sam Shields posted career bests in INTs (four) and passes defensed (14) in the nickel-back role.
In 2010, Whitt’s work with Williams culminated in his first Pro Bowl bid. Williams led the team in interceptions (a career-high six) and passes defensed (23), and added three more interceptions in the playoffs, which tied the franchise single-postseason record. Whitt also was instrumental in the rapid development of the rookie Shields, another undrafted prospect who became the team’s nickel back by the season opener – despite playing the corner position only one season in college – and helped the Packers advance to the Super Bowl with two interceptions in the NFC title game at Chicago.
Woodson also posted career highs in tackles (105) and forced fumbles (five) and earned a Pro Bowl bid and second-team All-Pro honors in ’10, when the Packers led the league in opponent passer rating (67.2) and finished second in interceptions (24).
In 2009, Whitt was part of a staff that guided the Packers defense to a No. 2 overall ranking in the league, the highest ranking since the ’96 team finished as the No. 1 defense. Green Bay led the league with 40 takeaways and 30 interceptions, the first time the Packers led the league in interceptions since 1965 (tied with Washington that season with 27).
Also in ’09, Woodson posted a career-high nine interceptions as part of perhaps his finest all-around season on his way to earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Honors from AP as well as All-Pro honors from virtually every publication. Then 33, Woodson became the oldest defensive back to win the player of the year award and just the fifth cornerback to do so since the award’s inception in 1971.
Meanwhile, Williams, who took over as the starting RCB after veteran Al Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11, posted a (then) career-high and team-leading 22 passes defensed along with four interceptions under Whitt’s guidance.
In Whitt’s first season with the Packers, his duties included breaking down opponent game film and analyzing their offensive tendencies while also assisting with the defensive backs and special teams.
In 2007 with Atlanta, Whitt worked alongside veteran coach and former Packers defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas in tutoring the Falcons’ defensive backs.
During his time in Louisville, Whitt’s recruiting efforts helped bring the program into national prominence as the Cardinals went 41-9 over that four-year stretch. After joining the staff in 2003, Whitt worked diligently to improve the Cardinals’ recruiting efforts, and the program landed its first top-25 recruiting class in 2005.
On the field, he coached All-Big East first-team selection William Gay, who led the team with six interceptions and was a fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. Whitt also had a hand in helping safety Kerry Rhodes, currently with the Arizona Cardinals, and Antoine Harris, most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, make it to the NFL.
Whitt broke into the collegiate coaching ranks in 2002 as wide receivers coach at The Citadel. In his only season there, the Bulldogs saw their passing output increase by 81.3 yards per game over 2001, averaging 219.8 yards in 2002. Under Whitt’s guidance, all of the team’s receivers produced career highs in 2002, most notably Scooter Johnson, who improved on his six catches for 104 yards as a junior to bring in 69 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns to earn first-team All-Southern Conference honors as a senior.
A native of Auburn, Ala., and a walk-on as a player at Auburn University, Whitt eventually earned a scholarship and played for a coaching staff that included his father, Joe Sr., a longtime Auburn assistant coach.
Whitt worked his way into Auburn’s rotation at wide receiver and contributed on special teams, battling several injuries along the way. After four shoulder surgeries and reconstructive knee surgery, he was granted a medical hardship waiver and became a student assistant at Auburn for two seasons, coaching alongside his dad.
Born July 19, 1978, Whitt graduated from Auburn in 2001 with a degree in communications. He and his wife, Ericka, have two children, a son, Joseph Barrington, and a daughter, Ava Jeneé.
- Joined Packers on March 7, 2008, as defensive quality control coach. Promoted to cornerbacks coach on Feb. 3, 2009.
- Since taking over as cornerbacks coach in ’09, the Packers have registered a league-high 85 interceptions, the most by the club over a three-year span since it recorded 95 INTs from 1943-45, with 43 of the 85 INTs coming from Whitt’s cornerbacks, the most in the league by a cornerback group over that span.
- Tutored CB Tramon Williams as he earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2010 and veteran CB Charles Woodson on his way to earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors from The Associated Press in 2009. Woodson also has earned a Pro Bowl bid each season under Whitt and twice been named first-team All-Pro.
- Under Whitt’s guidance, both Woodson and Williams have produced single-season career highs in all major categories.
- Has five years of college coaching experience.
- Played collegiately and coached as a student assistant at Auburn, where his father, Joe Sr., was on the coaching staff.
Entering his sixth season in the NFL, Joe Whitt Jr. begins his fifth with the Green Bay Packers and fourth in his position of secondary – cornerbacks coach.
Originally named defensive quality control coach on March 7, 2008, by Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the 34-year-old Whitt was promoted to cornerbacks coach on Feb. 3, 2009.
Whitt came to Green Bay after one year with the Atlanta Falcons as assistant defensive backs coach. He coached the previous five years in the college ranks, beginning with the 2002 season as wide receivers coach at The Citadel, followed by a four-year stint as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville.
In 2011, the Packers led the league in interceptions (31) for the second time in the past three seasons, with 17 of those picks coming from Whitt’s cornerbacks. Green Bay was the only team in the NFL to have three cornerbacks each register four or more interceptions (Charles Woodson, seven; Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, four each).
The 31 interceptions by the team this past season brought the three-year total since ’09, Whitt’s first season as cornerbacks coach, to 85. It marked the most by the Packers over a three-year period since 1943-45 (95 INTs) and the most by an NFL team since Minnesota and San Francisco each posted 86 INTs from 1986-88. Of those 85 INTs, 43 of them came courtesy of Whitt’s cornerbacks, the most in the league by a cornerback group over that span.
Woodson’s seven interceptions in 2011 tied him for the league lead as he earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl bid, the first Green Bay cornerback to do so since Herb Adderley (1963-67), as well as first-team All-Pro recognition from The Associated Press. Woodson also posted two sacks in 2011 as he became the first cornerback in franchise annals (since 1982) to register two-plus sacks in four consecutive seasons.
Under Whitt’s tutelage in 2011, Tramon Williams registered career highs with 65 tackles and a team-leading 24 passes defensed. Williams’ four interceptions gave him four or more picks for the fourth straight season, the only non-drafted player in the NFL to accomplish that feat over that span. Second-year CB Sam Shields posted career bests in INTs (four) and passes defensed (14) in the nickel-back role.
In 2010, Whitt’s work with Williams culminated in his first Pro Bowl bid. Williams led the team in interceptions (a career-high six) and passes defensed (23), and added three more interceptions in the playoffs, which tied the franchise single-postseason record. Whitt also was instrumental in the rapid development of the rookie Shields, another undrafted prospect who became the team’s nickel back by the season opener – despite playing the corner position only one season in college – and helped the Packers advance to the Super Bowl with two interceptions in the NFC title game at Chicago.
Woodson also posted career highs in tackles (105) and forced fumbles (five) and earned a Pro Bowl bid and second-team All-Pro honors in ’10, when the Packers led the league in opponent passer rating (67.2) and finished second in interceptions (24).
In 2009, Whitt was part of a staff that guided the Packers defense to a No. 2 overall ranking in the league, the highest ranking since the ’96 team finished as the No. 1 defense. Green Bay led the league with 40 takeaways and 30 interceptions, the first time the Packers led the league in interceptions since 1965 (tied with Washington that season with 27).
Also in ’09, Woodson posted a career-high nine interceptions as part of perhaps his finest all-around season on his way to earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Honors from AP as well as All-Pro honors from virtually every publication. Then 33, Woodson became the oldest defensive back to win the player of the year award and just the fifth cornerback to do so since the award’s inception in 1971.
Meanwhile, Williams, who took over as the starting RCB after veteran Al Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11, posted a (then) career-high and team-leading 22 passes defensed along with four interceptions under Whitt’s guidance.
In Whitt’s first season with the Packers, his duties included breaking down opponent game film and analyzing their offensive tendencies while also assisting with the defensive backs and special teams.
In 2007 with Atlanta, Whitt worked alongside veteran coach and former Packers defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas in tutoring the Falcons’ defensive backs.
During his time in Louisville, Whitt’s recruiting efforts helped bring the program into national prominence as the Cardinals went 41-9 over that four-year stretch. After joining the staff in 2003, Whitt worked diligently to improve the Cardinals’ recruiting efforts, and the program landed its first top-25 recruiting class in 2005.
On the field, he coached All-Big East first-team selection William Gay, who led the team with six interceptions and was a fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. Whitt also had a hand in helping safety Kerry Rhodes, currently with the Arizona Cardinals, and Antoine Harris, most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, make it to the NFL.
Whitt broke into the collegiate coaching ranks in 2002 as wide receivers coach at The Citadel. In his only season there, the Bulldogs saw their passing output increase by 81.3 yards per game over 2001, averaging 219.8 yards in 2002. Under Whitt’s guidance, all of the team’s receivers produced career highs in 2002, most notably Scooter Johnson, who improved on his six catches for 104 yards as a junior to bring in 69 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns to earn first-team All-Southern Conference honors as a senior.
A native of Auburn, Ala., and a walk-on as a player at Auburn University, Whitt eventually earned a scholarship and played for a coaching staff that included his father, Joe Sr., a longtime Auburn assistant coach.
Whitt worked his way into Auburn’s rotation at wide receiver and contributed on special teams, battling several injuries along the way. After four shoulder surgeries and reconstructive knee surgery, he was granted a medical hardship waiver and became a student assistant at Auburn for two seasons, coaching alongside his dad.
Born July 19, 1978, Whitt graduated from Auburn in 2001 with a degree in communications. He and his wife, Ericka, have two children, a son, Joseph Barrington, and a daughter, Ava Jeneé.
