Cardinal Newman football had an esteemed visitor for their summer practice on Wednesday, July 24.
Seattle Seahawks coach Chris Partridge, cousin to Newman athletic director Ryan Partridge, came out to offer guidance as a guest coach for the Crusaders on a hot summer day, walking the defense through drills and answering questions from athletes soaking up the valuable information.
Partridge began his coaching career in 2010 at Paramus Catholic High School, his alma mater, mentoring 30 Division I football players during that time, as well as various All-American players including Jabrill Peppers.
The veteran coach went on to work at both Michigan and Ole Miss before landing with Seattle, where he was part of the staff that won the 2026 Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
Cardinal Newman players were ecstatic to meet the intense defensive mind on Wednesday, eagerly working through the same drills that Partridge says he puts Seahawks players through.
“[Even] we can elevate it,” Partridge said, speaking about the Seahawks. “The fundamentals, the core basis of football, is the same through every level. That’s what I was trying to get them to understand. We do the same drills in Seattle that I had them do today. It’s broken down a little bit more but I’m passionate about he fundamentals of the game.”
“We get guys in the NFL that have never learned some of this stuff, so that’s where I wanted to try to help and contribute,” Partridge added.
Head coach Jack Daniels did a poor job of hiding a smile as he watched his student-athletes improve through the drills, taking instruction and showing real-time development as Partridge demonstrated technique.
The players asked about topics ranging from Seattle personnel to schematic questions such as applying techniques to Newman’s “gap sound defense” being practiced.
When it came time to their play, athletes approached the techniques readily, even working through productive frustration as they fought to improve across repetitions.
“I love it,” Partridge said of the Crusaders’ enthusiasm. “They’re here. They’re attentive. They’re ready to go. They’re eager to learn. You can tell why they win. It’s a great culture here. It’s a lot like what we’ve got in Seattle actually.”
Cardinal Newman is coming off a season that featured the first state championship in football program history, and mentorship like what players experienced on Wednesday should go a long way in preparing the Crusaders for a title defense.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cardinal Newman football brings in NFL help during summer practice
Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
