Cardinals hire Townsend as assistant secondary coach

Published Feb. 10, 2011 10:54 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Arizona Cardinals announced Thursday that DeShea Townsend has been named assistant defensive backs coach.

Townsend begins his coaching career with the Cardinals after a 13-year NFL career as a defensive back with the Indianapolis Colts (2010) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-2009). During that span, he played in 191 games (80 starts) and collected 428 tackles, 21 interceptions, 15.5 sacks, three touchdowns, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. He also played in 14 postseason games (seven starts) with Pittsburgh and had 42 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble.

Townsend played in eight games last season for the Colts and had nine tackles on defense and two special-teams stops. He won two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers -- Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Townsend was a four-year starter at Alabama and earned first-team All-SEC honors following his junior season. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 1998 NFL draft.