1) Saleh was a tight end at Division II Northern Michigan University and began his climb up the coaching ladder as a defensive assistant with Michigan State, Central Michigan and Georgia from 2002-05. It was in 2005 when he made the jump to the NFL as a defensive intern with the Houston Texans and remained with the team until 2010, serving in various defensive roles with the team. He took the internship just a few weeks into his GA role with Georgia. According to an SI.com profile, upon asking then Bulldogs coach Mark Richt for his blessing to leave, Richt responded "Are you crazy? You're thinking about that? Get your stuff and get outta here. Don't worry about us, buddy. Everybody dreams about going to that." He aided a pair of AP Defensive Rookie of the Year performances by DeMarco Ryans (2006) and Bryan Cushing (2009). In 2009, Ryans and Cushing were the only teammates to rank among the league's top-10 tacklers.