Vinny Cerrato

Former Washington Redskins general manager

What is Vinny Cerrato known for?

Albert Lea High School alumnus, Vinny Cerrato, embarked on a versatile journey within the world of American football as a player, coach, and executive. Cerrato started his football career playing as a quarterback and wide receiver at Iowa State University. After college, he signed a contract with the USFL Oakland Invaders in 1983, only to be cut in training camp a month later.

Transitioning into a coaching role, he began his career as a graduate assistant for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1983 to 1984. He was then promoted to recruiting coordinator in 1985. His career took him to University of Notre Dame where he served as the football recruiting coordinator under Lou Holtz. There, the Irish Advanced to four Bowl games and won the 1988 NCAA National Championship.

From the sidelines, Cerrato transitioned into management, joining the San Francisco 49ers in 1991 as a scout. His efforts in recruiting future stars such as Ted Washington, Ricky Watters, Dana Stubblefield, and Bryant Young were instrumental, culminating in a Super Bowl XXIX victory in 1994. Interestingly, Cerrato also tested his acting skills that year, appearing in the film 'Kindergarten Ninja'. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 1995, overseeing all college scouting, draft activities, and pro scouting of NFL players and opponents.

In 1999, Cerrato was hired by the Washington Redskins, where he acquired several big-name stars including Bruce Smith, and Deion Sanders. However, he was fired in 2001, working briefly for ESPN as a college analyst before being rehired in 2002 by the Redskins as their vice president of football operations. He eventually resigned from the team in 2009.

Unfortunately, his tenure as General Manager has been broadly regarded as a failure by peer evaluators and media. Since leaving the Redskins, Cerrato has become a regular contributor to sports talk radio shows in the Washington and Baltimore area.

For more details on Vinny Cerrato's career, you can visit his Wikipedia page.

Learn more about beautiful Albert Lea, Minnesota, the birthplace of Vinny Cerrato.