Fred Julian Alfred J . " Fred " Julian , Jr . ( born January 27 , 1938 ) is a former American football player and coach . He was a starting defensive back for the New York Titans ( renamed the Jets in 1963 ) during their inaugural 1960 season and led the team with six interception s in 14 games . He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and was the leading rusher on the 1959 Michigan team . Julian was the head football coach at Grand Rapids Community College for 18 years from 1985 to 2002 . He led the team to a 139 - 48 - 2 record and has been inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame . He also coached high school football at West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids , Michigan for 16 years . Early years . Julian grew up in Detroit , Michigan , and attended Pershing High School . He was the son Alfred J . Julian , Sr . , and Rosa Julian , both of whom were Michigan natives . Julian had two siblings , Norma and Dennis . His father was employed as a " trimmer " in an automobile factory when Julian was a boy . His grandfather , Wilbrod Julian , and his uncle , William Julian , also worked as " machinists " in a Detroit automobile factory . Michigan . Julian attended the University of Michigan played for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1957 to 1959 . As a junior , Julian started all nine games at right halfback on both offense and defense for the 1958 Michigan Wolverines football team . The 1958 team finished in eighth place in the Big Ten Conference with a disappointing 2 - 6 - 1 record . Julian rushed for 180 yards on 45 carries in 1958 . Michigan head coach Bennie Oosterbaan was fired after the 1958 season and replaced with Bump Elliott . Under the new head coach , the 1959 Wolverines improved marginally to 7th place in the Big Ten and a 4 - 5 record . Julian was the starting right halfback in seven of Michigan ' s nine games in 1959 , rushing for 289 yards on 72 carries . On October 24 , 1959 , he gained a career - high 93 yards , including a 42 - yard touchdown run , in a 14 - 6 victory over Minnesota . He also scored the winning touchdown on a one - yard run in a 20 - 15 upset victory over Illinois on November 7 , 1959 . Julian was Michigan ' s leading rusher in 1959 , and his total of 289 yards remains the lowest in school history for a player who led the team in rushing . Professional football . Julian was not drafted in the 1960 NFL Draft . Michigan head coach Bump Elliott arranged for Julian to get a tryout with the New York Titans ( renamed the Jets in 1963 ) in the newly - formed American Football League . He tried out for the team at the Polo Grounds on July 7 , 1960 , and the Titans ' head coach Sammy Baugh was reportedly impressed by Julian ' s " ability at one - to - one coverage . " Julian made the team and played appeared in all 14 games as a defensive back in the Titans ' inaugural season . He led the team ( and finished fourth in the league ) with six pass interceptions . After a 27 - 7 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers , Titans general manager Steve Sebo singled out Julian as " the best defensive back on the field . " Julian later recalled that he learned a tremendous amount about football from watching and listening to Sammy Baugh . Prior to training camp in 1961 , Julian learned he was likely to be drafted by the military . According to William Ryczek ' s history of the New York Jets , Julian was a starter for the Titans in all of their pre - season games , but the team released him before the start of the regular season due to his imminent induction into the military . He tried out with the Boston Patriots but was rejected for the same reason . In the end , Julian was not drafted in the military . He returned to Michigan where he coached high school football and played in the newly - formed World Football League for the team in Grand Rapids . Coaching career . After retiring as a football player , Julian worked in Detroit as an insurance agent during the 1960s . In 1969 , Julian returned to Grand Rapids and became the head football coach at West Catholic High School . He was the head football coach at West Catholic for 16 years . In 1985 , he took over as the head football coach at Grand Rapids Community College , succeeding Gordon Hunsberger , who had been the head coach since the 1950s . He remained as the coach at GRCC for 18 years from 1985 to 2002 , compiling a record of 139 - 48 - 2 . He led GRCC to the 1988 national championship game and appearances in seven bowl games , including the 1986 Texas Junior College Shrine Bowl , 1987 East Bowl , the 1988 Valley of the Sun Bowl ( National Championship Game ) , the 1990 Mickinnon Travel Midwest Bowl , the 1992 Dixie Rotary Bowl , the 1996 Dixie Rotary Bowl , and the 2002 Graphic Edge / Siglar Printing Bowl . Julian retired after the 2002 season In 2003 , he was inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame . Family . Julian was married to Joycelin A . Julian . His wife died in 2008 . Julian has 4 children : Jennifer Susan Julian Sciamanna , Bradley John Julian ( died 1988 ) , Dominic Alfred Julian , and Lindsay Julian Hunter .