Former Ohio State safety Josh Proctor had a short stint in the NFL before being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars this summer, but that doesn’t mean he is finished with his football journey.
Proctor has joined the coaching staff at his alma mater, Owasso (Okla.) High School, where he will serve as a defensive assistant for the Rams during the 2024 football season, the school announced on Tuesday.
Before playing six years at Ohio State and one summer with the Jaguars, Proctor was a standout on both sides of the ball at Owasso. Across his high school career he rushed for 318 yards and four touchdowns and added 19 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown on offense, while totaling 40 total tackles, five interceptions and two pick sixes on defense.
Proctor’s do-it-all skill set with the Rams allowed him to emerge as a highly touted high school prospect in the 2018 class, where he earned 13 offers and was ranked the nation’s 71st-best overall prospect, seventh-best safety and No. 2 player out of Oklahoma. He was projected to enroll with the Sooners but ultimately chose the Buckeyes, committing to then-Urban Meyer-led Ohio State in April 2017.
Proctor played six seasons at Ohio State, gaining one extra year because of a medical redshirt and another with a COVID-19 redshirt. He totaled 112 tackles (6.5 for loss), 17 pass deflections, three interceptions and a fumble recovery across 53 career appearances. His best year came as the Buckeyes’ starting adjuster safety in 2023, where he totaled a career-high 47 tackles, four tackles for loss, nine pass deflections and an interception returned for a touchdown.
Proctor’s strong sixth-year senior season caused him to earn some NFL buzz last offseason, which landed him a spot with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent, signing with the franchise hours after the 2024 NFL draft concluded.
Proctor’s time in Jacksonville was short lived, however, as he was waived by the franchise on Aug. 27 during the league’s final round of roster cuts.
