Brian Folkerts Has Been Proving People Wrong His Entire Football Life
9/3/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
Toledo OL coach was a D-II All-American before spending five seasons in the NFL
TOLEDO, Ohio - Brian Folkerts has spent most of his football life proving people wrong.
Coming out of Hazelwood Central High School in St. Louis, Folkerts was an undersized offensive lineman who wasn't highly recruited. He had two Division II offers — from Missouri Western and Washburn — and ultimately chose Washburn.
It was there that Folkerts began building the career that eventually took him far beyond anything his recruiting profile suggested.
A four-year starter and All-American tackle, Folkerts was inducted into the Washburn Hall of Fame in 2023. After college, he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and signed with the New Orleans Saints before spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad.
But the NFL dream didn't come easily.
When opportunities dried up, Folkerts headed to the Arena Football League. That led to a rookie minicamp invitation with the Carolina Panthers and eventually, to a spot on their 53-man roster.
For Folkerts, making an NFL roster was more than a professional milestone. It was the fulfillment of a promise he'd made to himself years earlier.
After my junior year of college football, I started growing my hair out, said Folkerts. I said I wasn't going to cut it until I made it in the NFL.
By the time he finally made the Panthers, his hair had grown considerably. Steve Smith and Jordan Gross, two Panthers legends, gave him the nickname Caveman Center.
Once you're one of the guys and they're joking a nickname, things are going good, said Folkerts.
He spent three seasons with Carolina, from 2013-15, primarily serving as a reserve offensive lineman and the team's short-yardage and jumbo package specialist. His time in Carolina included the team's memorable 2015 Super Bowl run, although Folkerts wasn't there for the entire journey. A serious ankle injury early that season forced Carolina to release him with an injury settlement.
He spent months rehabbing before joining the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad. Then came another unusual twist: Folkerts was claimed by the St. Louis Rams, allowing him to finish the season playing for his hometown team.
The Rams soon moved to Los Angeles, and Folkerts' NFL journey continued. After another injury and shoulder surgery derailed his 2016 season, he returned to Carolina in 2017 for what became his final NFL season.
Still, Folkerts wasn't ready to leave football behind.
He played in the Alliance of American Football with the San Antonio Commanders and then in the XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks in 2020. After that, Folkerts retired as a player and began coaching.
Then he did something few people can say they've done: He unretired.
After three years of coaching, Folkerts returned to playing in 2023 with the Arlington Renegades under coach Bob Stoops. The Renegades won the XFL championship, giving Folkerts one more championship memory before he finally committed to coaching full time.
By then, he knew what he wanted.
I love the locker room, that competitive drive and that spirit, said Folkerts. You really can't find it outside of athletics.
He coached the offensive line at his alma mater in 2021, helping the Ichabods reach the playoffs. He moved to Wingate in 2022, coaching tight ends and fullbacks before switching to the offensive line the following season.
In 2024, he joined Northern Iowa, coaching tight ends and tackles. Three of his players from that team are now on NFL rosters, as is one of his former Washburn players.
Then came Mercer, where Folkerts joined Mike Jacobs' staff. The results were impressive. Mercer went undefeated in the Southern Conference, made a playoff run and had all five starting offensive linemen earn All-Conference or All-American honors. The unit also gave up the second-fewest sacks per game in the FCS.
That success helped bring Folkerts to Toledo, where he followed Jacobs and became the Rockets' offensive line coach.
Jacobs, who shares Folkerts' background as a former offensive lineman, said Toledo knew exactly what it was getting when the opportunity arose to bring Folkerts aboard.
When we had the opportunity to bring Brian on staff after the 2024 season, we knew we were getting one of the rising stars in the offensive line world, said Jacobs. Drawing on his years as a professional, he communicates and teaches the fundamentals at the highest level. He has also leaned on that experience in the recruitment of both high school and portal players.
Jacobs runs what Folkerts describes as an O-line-driven program, and the two coaches share a similar philosophy about building a team from the line of scrimmage.
Me and him are on the same page with almost everything, said Folkerts.
His journey from an overlooked Division II offensive lineman to NFL player, coach and championship winner has shaped the way he approaches his job.
Folkerts knows what it's like to be underestimated. More importantly, he knows how difficult the learning curve can be when an opportunity finally arrives. He wants to make that curve flatter.
I'm trying to correct that, said Folkerts. I'm trying to coach my guys at a really high level so that they're prepared if they do get an opportunity and if they earn their opportunity.
At Toledo, Folkerts gets another opportunity of his own: a new locker room, a new team and a new chapter in a football life that has already taken him from Division II to the NFL, through multiple spring leagues and across the college ranks.
He's heard about Toledo's passionate fans, its tailgating scene and its reputation as one of the MAC's best-supported programs. His family will be there, too, fully invested in their new home.
After all the places football has taken him, Folkerts isn't interested in leaving the game anytime soon.
He finally found the place he wanted to be.
