David Overstreet's son brings his passion for football to UCF

For new UCF cornerbacks coach David Overstreet II, there was nothing he wanted to do more than play football.

As a baby, his father gifted him a small, green football. It might have been the hope of a dad who wanted his son to someday follow in his footsteps by having a career in football. Maybe it was an effort to forge a bond between father and son.

Whatever the reason, the younger Overstreet grew attached to the ball and couldn't be without it.

"There’s a picture of me when I was a baby and I’m holding a green football," said Overstreet. "It's the first thing my dad gave me. He put it in my crib when I was a baby. I wouldn’t do anything without it. I wouldn't take the picture, I cried the whole time until they gave me the ball back. When they gave me the ball, I smiled for the picture.

"It's what I always wanted to do."

Nearly four decades later, Overstreet can still recall the photo that features himself, his sister Dayetta and his mother, Johnnie, with fondness.

“I never really want to do anything else, like growing up,” said Overstreet. “People say, ‘I want to be a policeman or fireman,’ all those things. I never said I want to do anything other than play football.”

Football will always be a part of Overstreet's life.

His father, David Overstreet, was a running back at Oklahoma before being selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons in the Canadian Football League after a contract dispute delayed his NFL debut. Overstreet returned to the Dolphins in 1983, but was killed in a car accident in June 1984 - a year after the birth of his son.

The younger Overstreet’s love of football took him from the high school football fields in Texas to the University of Missouri, where he became a four-year starter for the Tigers. His post-college career took him into marketing, but it wasn't long before the call of football drew him back into the game.

“When I got away from football, I ran a marketing firm for a few years," said Overstreet. "But I started missing it. I love it too much.”

He found his way into coaching, first as an assistant coach at a pair of community colleges, then in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts (2018-21), the Chicago Bears (2022-24) and the Dallas Cowboys (2025).

But it was a familiar face that drew him to UCF this offseason.

“I do have a relationship with (defensive coordinator Alex) Grinch. He was a graduate assistant when I was in my first two years in Missouri," Overstreet explained.

The Knights were in a spot after losing two cornerbacks coaches this offseason. Brandon Harris departed for a similar job at Florida and his replacement, Will Johnson, took a job with the Minnesota Vikings a little more than a month before the start of spring camp.

"It’s a unique situation," said Grinch. "We've got a lot of older guys in that (cornerbacks) room with some experience, so to add a guy to the coaching staff that has coached that mature type of guy, it’s a great fit for us, a great fit for him and then a great fit for that room."

Overstreet inherits a cornerbacks group that returns starters Antione Jackson and Jayden Bellamy, along with reserves DJ Bell, Rukeem Stroud and Nicholas Antione. The unit also added transfer Jailen Duffie and freshmen Elijah Keys and Amarion Queen.

The Knights were one of the best in the country in passing defense, finishing the season ranked in the top 25, allowing just 185 yards per game.

The players have been drawn to Overstreet’s NFL experience and his high-energy personality.

"Seven o’clock, six o’clock, five o’clock in the morning, he's already up and full of energy," said Bell.

"I don’t drink any caffeine. I’m just always wired like this. It’s because I just love this game. I love football so much, man," said Overstreet.

Overstreet's connection to coaching pro players such as cornerback Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears) and DaRon Bland (Dallas Cowboys) has become a resource that many of the Knights are trying to tap into.

"He’s coming from the pros, so I just asked him about the guys that he coached," added Jackson. "What was their routine? What were they doing on a daily basis? What could I do better on a daily basis? Speaking outside of football because that's where it all starts."

That willingness to improve has impressed Overstreet the most so far this spring camp.

"The biggest thing is how bad these dudes want to get better," he said. "It tells me a lot that it matters to them. But also tells about the culture that (Coach Scott) Frost is building here, the way you’re getting guys in here that it matters to them. They want to be good."

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel's Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 8:31 PM.