Colorado Football DC News: Ex Bengals DE Shares His Two Cents On Deion Sanders’ Recruitment of Robert Livingston

Amidst Colorado’s coaching staff overhaul, Robert Livingston’s hiring has sent shockwaves to the football world. Considering he’s fairly young to hold the defensive coordinator post at just 33 and given that he has no real experience as DC, it’s a shocker. But if you hear what his former players are saying about him, views could change. 

Robert Livingston joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 as a scout and later became an on-field coach in 2015. He spent his last eight seasons as a secondary coach. During his time with the Bengals, he has caught the eyes of Bengals players including defensive player Michael Johnson who has something interesting to say about his choice to join Deion Sanders in Colorado. 

Michael Johnson recalls Robert Livingston’s hype in Cincinnati 

In a recent discussion on BiggDoggChico, Michael Johnson has nothing but praise for Robert Livingston on joining Colorado. The former Bengals DE recalled how Livingston came in when Mike Zimmer was serving as the Bengals DC from 2008-2013. He said, “He came in when Mike Zimmer was our coordinator. Coach Zimmer also worked with Coach Prime at Jackson State.” Zimmer worked together with Deion Sanders as an analyst/consultant at Jackson State in 2022. 

Given that he worked under solid DCs like Mike Zimmer, Paul Guenther, and Lou Anarumo, “he was part of [the Bengals] defense that was number two in scoring in the league.” Johnson showed his confidence in the new Buffs DC saying, “Coaches sometimes struggle to connect but he’s not one of those. He connects well with guys. He’s respected and I liked him. He was fun to be around.” Livingston is someone who might be able to connect with the young college players given his experience at a relatively young age. 

Robert Livingston’s rich experience with the Bengals

With Robert Livingston replacing Charles Kelly as the Buffs’ DC, there could be changes coming. The Hendersonville native may be young but since taking up the role as a secondary/safeties coach role in 2016, he assisted the team’s defense in yielding the second-fewest points per game at 17.4. The years that followed showed his consistency as the Bengals ranked among the top in the league defense-wise. 

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Under his guidance, Livingston also helped develop several defensive players including Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell, and Dax Hill, among others. Leaving the Bengals after spending nine seasons as a coaching staff, he’s coming to Colorado with quite a hype. The DC is a big role but with several years of experience, Livingston will hopefully catch up and improve a team that clinched the 124th spot on the FBS rankings. 

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