Cheston Blackshear - Assistant Offensive Line - Football Coaches

Cheston Blackshear

Title:
Assistant Offensive Line

Blackshear enters his second season on the Army coaching staff, being hired before the 2024 season.

In 2025, it was announced that Blackshear would transition to the role of assistant offensive line coach, working alongside Associate Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach Mike Viti.

In 2024, he coached the tight ends for the Black Knights. Under his mentorship, senior tight end David Crossan started in 13 out of 14 games, serving as a key blocker to the nation’s top rushing attack.

Before Army, he spent two seasons as an offensive line quality control coach with the Florida Gators (2022-23).

While at Florida, he was a part of the 2022 team that played in the Las Vegas Bowl. OL O’Cyrus Torrence went on to become a second-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2023 and went on to start all 17 games as a rookie.

Before Florida, he spent four seasons (2018-21) at Dartmouth, where he was the offensive tackles and tight ends coach. In 2019, he developed offensive line convert Jake Guidone and helped him become one of the best blocking tight ends in the conference, earning an honorable mention without catching a pass. In 2021, Blackshear coached two all-conference tight ends in J.J. Jones III and Robbie Mangas.

Blackshear was in the same role in Nevada from 2014-17, New Mexico from 2009-12, and at Columbia from 2006-08. He was also the tight ends coach at Georgetown for the 2013 season and a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2005. Blackshear began his coaching career at Florida as a graduate assistant from 2002-04.

A native of Jacksonville, he guided Lucas Reed to Freshman All-America honors in 2009 and was selected as a candidate for the John Mackey Award (Most Outstanding Tight End). Also, at UNM, he coached former NFL offensive lineman Byron Bell.

He has participated in the NFL's Bill Walsh Internship Program and worked with the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins during training camp.

Blackshear was a four-time letter winner for the University of Florida, playing in 41 games with 28 starts from 1995-1999. A member of the 1996 National Championship team, he was tabbed both a 1999 Coaches' and AP Second-Team All-SEC selection and awarded the Fergie Ferguson Award in his senior year.

Following graduation, he signed with the Carolina Panthers and then played guard for the Orlando Rage of the XFL from 2000-01 and helped them lead the league in rushing. Blackshear was an All-State and Super Prep All-American at Ed White High as well, becoming the first offensive lineman ever awarded Player of the Year honors by the Florida Times-Union.