Dennis Long completed his first season as the special teams coordinator with the East Stroudsburg University football program in 2019.
Long saw two of his special teams players and one his linebackers garner postseason awards following the 2019 campaign, with K/P Jordan Walters earning All-America honors from four organizations (AFCA, AP, D2CCA and D2Football.com). Walters also garnered All-Region recognition from D2CCA and the Football Gazette, while taking home All-PSAC First Team honors at both the kicker and punter position. Walters had a record-breaking campaign with the Warriors, tying the ESU single-season program record with 16 made field goals on the year while also setting a new ESU and PSAC record with a 56-yard field goal at West Chester on October 26.
The other Warrior special-teamer to earn postseason honors was KR/PR Rece Bender, who was named to the PSAC East Second Team as a return specialist. The sophomore led the PSAC with 28.0 yards per kick return, and also averaged 15.44 yards on punt returns. Bender took back a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown at Shepherd, and also scored on a 95-yard kickoff return in the season finale against Clarion, which was tied for the fourth-longest kick return in program history.
Before East Stroudsburg, Long served as the special teams coordinator and assistant offensive line coach at Sayreville High School for the 2018 season. Long’s special teams units were instrumental in Sayreville’s achievement of an 11-1 record on their way to a GMC White Division Championship, a Central Jersey Group 5 State Championship, and becoming the first-ever Central/South Jersey Group 5 Bowl Champions, finishing the season as the #8 ranked team in the state of New Jersey.
Long is a 2017 graduate of East Stroudsburg University, where he majored in Political Science. He was a two-year starter at long snapper, starting in 21 of 22 games (missed one due to injury). After his career at East Stroudsburg concluded, Long received workout opportunities with the New York Giants, and New England Patriots, before receiving an invitation to Rookie Mini Camp with the New York Jets in May of 2018.
