ARKADELPHIA – When two-time All-America honoree Peyton Stafford turned in his pads this past December at the end of his playing career, he was handed a clipboard and headset in return.

After completing one of the most decorated playing careers in Ouachita Baptist University football history, Stafford will remain on the sideline wearing purple and white, but this time as a coach for the Tigers. He began his new role in the Spring 2023 semester.

The Amarillo, Texas native earned All-America honors twice for his athletic performance and once for his academics in his six-year undergraduate career. He was one of the best offensive linemen in the country at the NCAA Division II level, but as a coach, his career will start on the opposite side of the trenches as an assistant coach for the defensive lineman.

Since he initially enrolled at Ouachita in 2017, Stafford has worked his way up through the ranks of the Tiger football program, from redshirt freshman to backup player to starter to team captain and now to assistant coach. He graduated from Ouachita in December of 2022 with bachelor's degree in three different majors – finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. He was a nine-time member of the Ouachita Dean's List and a four-time member of the Great American Conference All-Academic Team.

"I didn't think I wanted to coach at first," said Stafford. "But I felt a calling to it, and what better place to start that career than the program and the coaches that shaped me into who I am today."

Stafford racked up numerous accolades during his playing career. In addition to the many honors received for his athletic performance, Stafford was named an Academic All-American in 2022, becoming the program's first student-athlete to earn the top honors in both categories. He was a nominee for the Gene Upshaw D2 Lineman of the Year Award and was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar athlete award. Stafford's hometown of Amarillo even made January 3 "Peyton Stafford Day" in honor of his accomplishments.

"What a story," said Knight. "From basically a walk-on to All-American, it doesn't get much better than that, and Stafford has been a leader in every way for this program, on the field, in the locker room, and in the classroom. It only felt right to have him start his coaching career here, and we are excited to have him."