 |
Brian Mack is second on the team in rushing this season. |
PDF Game Notes
After a long flight west to San Diego last week, the University of Dayton football team will make a short drive west to Indianapolis this Saturday, October 16 to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET.
UD is 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the Pioneer Football League after last week’s 21-20 win at USD. Dayton’s 3-0 conference mark places the Flyers in first place with Jacksonville.
As a team, Dayton ranks first nationally in the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision in rushing defense. UD is allowing 69.7 rushing yards a game.
Butler is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the PFL. The Bulldogs dropped their first two league games before winning at Davidson 24-8 last week.
Dayton returns 15 starters (10 offense, three defense, two specialists), from the team that went 9-2 and won a share of the 2009 Pioneer Football League title.
Dayton shared that championship with Butler. The two teams were picked 1-2 in the PFL’s preseason coaches’ poll.
Head coach Rick Chamberlin has guided UD to 9-3 and 9-2 records in his first two seasons.
GOOD NEWS WORTH REPEATING
The Flyers entered the season with the second best winning percentage (.791, 87-23) in FCS football since 2000 AND the most football Academic All-Americans (19) at any level of competition in the decade.
MORE GOOD NEWS
The Flyers were predicted to win their 11th Pioneer Football League championship in the annual PFL coaches’ poll that was announced on August 9. UD received 76 points while Butler was picked to finish second, receiving two first-place votes, with 69 points. Jacksonville got the four remaining first-place votes. Davidson was predicted to finish fourth with 54 points.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Butler’s defense leads the PFL in scoring defense (20.5), total defense (298.5), pass defense (133.0) and pass efficiency defense (115.18). Sophomore linebacker Jordan Ridley is the league’s top tackler, averaging 11.3 a game.
BU used a platoon system at quarterback to knock off Davidson. Junior Andrew Huck was 14-for-20 passing for 139 yards and a touchdown, and senior Matt Kobli ran the ball 10 times for 62 yards and two TD’s.
SERIES STUFF
Dayton leads the series with 25-9-1, and has won two of the last three contests. Butler inched past UD 31-28 last year in Dayton when JMichael Jonard was tackled at the goal line on a Hail Mary pass. The Flyers won the last meeting at the Butler Bowl, 28-21 in overtime in 2008.
THE EYES OF THE NATION
The Flyer football program received more national attention this summer than perhaps ever, when Steve Valentino and James Vercammen were named to the Payton Award and Buchanan Award Watch Lists. UD is also receiving votes in the Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS and the FCS Coaches Polls.
ALL CAPTAINS ALL PFL
The Flyers are led by captains Tyler Friedrich, Joe Ries and Steve Valentino. All three are redshirt seniors, members of two PFL championship teams in their careers and were named First Team All-PFL in 2009.
Friedrich is an offensive guard from Dublin, Ohio. A versatile player who has also played tight end and tackle in his career, Friedrich started all 11 games last season. Ries is a linebacker from Cincinnati. As a junior, he was second on the team in tackles (70), and led in interceptions (3) and fumbles forced (2). Valentino is just the fourth two-time captain in school history. The Solon, Ohio native moved from wideout to quarterback after the season opener, and led the Flyers to their 10th PFL title in 15 years.
STREAKING
UD has not been shut out in a school-record 381 straight games, the best such active string in all of college football. The last team to shut out the Flyers was Marshall, 9-0, on Oct. 16, 1976. That is also the all-time FCS record.
ALL-PFL PERFORMERS RETURN
Dayton returns five 2009 First Team All-PFL performers – OG Tyler Friedrich, LB Joe Ries, QB Steve Valentino, F James Vercammen and DE Brandon Wingeier. In addition, UD also returns WR Justin Watkins (second team) and C Justin Griffis (honorable mention).
LONG TIME STARTERS
Joe Ries, Brandon Wingeier and Steve Valentino each enter the Valparaiso game with 29 starts under their belts (although 13 of Valentino’s starts were at receiver). Seven other Flyers also have double-digit starts. Justin Watkins has 24, Tyler Friedrich and Eric Studt each have 21, James Vercammen has 19, Justin Griffis 17, Dan Fornek and Dan Prindle each have 16, Anthony Papp and Brian Mack have 13, and Nick Collins and Mike Morante each have 11 starts.
VALENTINO NAMED FIRST PFL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior quarterback Steve Valentino was named the 2010 season’s inaugural PFL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Dayton’s 28-14 season-opening win over Robert Morris. The UD co-captain and Walter Payton Award candidate accounted personally for 317 of UD’s 388 yards in total offense. Valentino ran the ball 16 times for 106 yards and completed 19 of 37 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the win. It was the fifth career PFL Player of the Week Award for Valentino. He earned four weekly awards last season en route to being named the PFL Offensive of the Year and leading UD to a share of the PFL title.
TINO TALES
Senior quarterback Steve Valentino is the first Dayton player to be named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List. The Payton Award goes to the player of the year in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision and is presented by the Sports Network. A First Team All-PFL wide receiver in 2008, he became Dayton’s starting quarterback in the 2009 season’s second week due to injuries. He promptly led the Flyers to seven consecutive victories and finished the regular season among the league leaders in four categories (with a league-best 281.6 yards total offense) en route to being named the 2009 PFL Offensive Player of the Year. Just the fourth Flyer to be a two-time football captain, he is the first position player in PFL history to be named first-team all-league at two different positions.
GAME UP IN STANDINGS, GAME BEHIND IN THE stats
Despite playing less than a half in the Central State blowout, and just about a half against Valparaiso, Steve Valentino is third in total offense (246.2), and fifth in passing offense (189.7) and rushing (56.5) in the PFL.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
This is the first time since he has began playing organized football that reigning PFL Offensive Player of the Year Steve Valentino has been a starting quarterback two years in a row. He started at QB as a senior at Solon High School, and then redshirted and was a third-string QB in his first two years at UD. He moved to WR in 2008, and then came to the rescue and returned to QB last year.
STILL AT QB, STILL A CAPTAIN, BUT...
There are a lot of attributes attached to Steve Valentino (captain, Payton candidate, PFL Player of the Year, etc.) but he no longer holds the title of “Fastest Player on the Team.” That honor now goes to freshman kick returner/cornerback Gary Hunter, who ran a 4.32 in the preseason. Valentino runs a 4.44.
ALL-AMERICAMMEN
Senior James Vercammen was named to the Sports Network’s Preseason All-America First Team in July. Playing the hybrid safety/linebacker position know as “Flyer,” he is the only player from the PFL on the first team and one of four from the league on any of the Sports Network preseason teams. Vercammen is also the only player from the PFL who has been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The Buchanan Award is given to FCS football’s best defensive player. Vercammen is the first UD player to be named to the Buchanan Watch List. As a redshirt junior, Vercammen’s 134 tackles set a new single-season record in the PFL and was third in the FCS. His season earned him a spot on the Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision All-American Second Team and All-PFL First Team. He posted eight games of double-digit tackles, including a 19-tackle, 1.5 tackle for loss and one pass breakup game against conference foe San Diego. This season, Vercammen leads the team in tackles (45), solo stops (24) and tackles behind the line (8.5). He also has 2.0 sacks, a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery.
VERCAMMEN NAMED PFL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
James Vercammen was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week after UD’s 48-14 win over Valparaiso. He led UD with 12 tackles (five solo) Saturday, including a sack, a fumble recovery and 2.5 tackles behind the line. Dayton held Valparaiso to 33 net rushing yards in the game.
QUALITY VS. QUANTITY
Dayton only returns three starters from last year’s defense that led the PFL in scoring defense (13.6) and total defense (242.5), but they were the three most productive Dayton players on that side of the ball. Flyer James Vercammen led the PFL and was third in the nation in tackles (134). Linebacker Joe Ries was second on the team in tackles (70), and led in interceptions (3) and fumbles forced (2). Defensive end Brandon Wingeier led the team in sacks (6.5) and fumbles recovered (2).
SPEAKING OF WINGEIER
Brandon Wingeier is a two-time ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American. A mechanical engineering major, he has started 27 straight games for the Flyers. Last year he led UD in sacks (6.5). He also had 39 tackles, 11.5 hits in the backfield, two fumbles recovered, two QB hurries, a fumble forced, a pass batted down and an interception he returned 57 yards for a touchdown.
WINGEIER NAMED NFF SEMIFINALIST
Brandon Wingeier has been named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s William V. Campbell Trophy.
The Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, has been referred to as “the academic Heisman.” One of college football’s most sought after and competitive awards, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.
He is one of 121 semifinalists from all levels of college football. UD has had semifinalists in three of the last four years. Bart Bergfeld made the cut in 2008, and Brandon Cramer was a finalist in 2007.
SPEAKING FURTHER OF WINGEIER
Brandon Wingeier was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week after the Morehead State game. Wingeier spearheaded UD’s defensive effort in the trenches, as the Flyers held Morehead to just two yards net rushing. Wingeier’s 2.5 tackles behind the line led UD, as did his 1.5 sacks. Dayton entered game with 4 sacks, but had 5 in the MSU win alone. He also had five stops in the game (three solo) and forced the fumble on the MSU 11-yard line that set up UD’s second TD of the game.
RIES NAMED PFL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Redshirt senior linebacker Joe Ries was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week after leading all players in tackles in UD’s 21-20 win at San Diego. Ries led with 10 stops. More importantly, he came up with the two critical fourth-down plays on San Diego’s last two possessions in the fourth quarter to preserve UD’s one-point advantage, and eventually, the win. With 7:24 left, teammate Devon Langhorst made the initial hit on San Diego running back Phil Morelli but Ries finished the play, keeping the USD workhorse from getting a second-effort first down on fourth-and-less-than-one at the Dayton 30. Then, with 48 seconds left on a fourth-and-three at midfield, Ries came on a blitz and got a hand on Mason Mills’ pass, knocking it to the ground and keeping the Flyers undefeated in the PFL.
DEFENSE BY COMMITTEE
Nine Flyers had at least three tackles in the Robert Morris win, and seven of the nine were first-time starters. Safety Eric Robbe led the way with nine hits. Cornerback Matt Pfleger (who played wide receiver in 2009) was right behind with seven stops (five solo). Four players were involved in sacks, and nine had tackles in the backfield (led by All-American James Vercammen’s 2.5). Six players each had a pass knockdown.
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
James Vercammen leads the Dayton defense in five statistical categories, including total tackles (45), solo hits (24) and stops in the backfield (8.5). Devon Langhorst is second in tackles (41) and leads in sacks (6.0) and QB hurries (3). Matt Pfleger is UD’s leader in pass breakups (5), interceptions (2) and is second in solo tackles (17).
SWITCHING SIDES
Last year, redshirt sophomore Matt Pfleger was playing wideout for UD behind a deep and talented group of receivers. This year, he is a starting cornerback who is second on the team in solo hits (17), and leads in interceptions (2) and pass breakups (5).
QUALITY & QUANTITY
UD returned 10 of 11 starters on offense (and that does not include center Blake Saul who started all 12 games in 2008 and was limited with a back injury in 2009). Every player who scored is back, as are 13 of the players who caught a pass, and the team’s top four rushers.
THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE
Ten different Flyers have caught at least one pass this season. Justin Watkins leads the team in receptions (25) and yards per catch (16.3). Tyler Hujik is second in receptions (18). Nick Collins is third (16) and leads with three TD’s. Luke Bellman is fourth (13), Anthony Papp is fifth (8) and Tyler Savisky is sixth (7). Savisky is second in yards per catch (15.9). Both Watkins and Bellman each have a pair of TD catches. Papp has one, as does Steve Valentino.
CAREER DAY FOR WATKINS
Redshirt senior wideout Justin Watkins caught a career-high eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the Robert Morris win.
#1 CATCHING UP TO #1
Justin Watkins, who wears jersey number 1 as UD’s lead receiver, has moved into second place on UD’s career receiving yardage list behind the player who started that uniform number 1 tradition, Ryan Wrobleski. Watkins now has 1,966 yards, 92 behind Wrobleski’s 2,058
COLLINS CATCHES (AND CATCHES, AND CATCHES...)
And then rests a sore ankle. Nick Collins had a string 25 straight games with a reception snapped in the Valparaiso win. He started and played into the second quarter, but was then held out in order to rest a sprained ankle he suffered the week before. He caught UD’s first completion of the day at San Diego.
STABLE SITUATION
UD’s stable of backs -- RS sophomore Taylor Harris, RS sophomore Dan Jacob, RS sophomore Brian Mack and senior Andrew Zapinski -- have 638 yards and 14 TD’s between them. Collectively, they average 5.1 yards a carry.
HUNTER NAMED PFL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Gary Hunter was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week when he returned what is believed to be the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a freshman in the 105-year history of University of Dayton football. Early records are incomplete, but no Flyer freshman has returned a kickoff for a score in the modern era of UD football. Just after Valparaiso scored to tie the game in the first quarter, Hunter gave Dayton the lead back with an 82-yard return. Hunter has 18 returns for a 29.8 yards-per-return average. He leads the PFL and is 15th nationally in the FCS football in kickoff return average.
DOING GOOD WORK
Senior offensive tackle Dan Prindle is a member of the 22-man Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Honorees were selected based on their contributions to their community and campus. Prindle has volunteered at Children’s Medical Center, St. Vincent DePaul and the Bombeck Center on campus. In addition, he was a part of Christmas on Campus, YMCA Summer Camp and has also helped with the Special Olympics. This summer he was a camp counselor at UD’s engineering camp for gifted students. He is also an executive officer of Dayton’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has served as a representative at the NCAA’s APPLE Conference which concentrates on improving substance abuse prevention programming and policies in athletics departments.
THEY ARE WHO WE THINK THEY ARE
Dayton is one of just two schools in FCS football to have a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team (Dan Prindle) and a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy (Brandon Wingeier). Delaware is the other team.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Nick Glavin’s 183 career points tie him for 14th at UD with Hartmut Strecker. Just ahead are Garry Smith and Sylvester Monroe (186). Glavin is also tied with Strecker for fourth in career PAT’s for the Flyers with 114. Ryan Hulme is next with 139. Glavin is also tied with Strecker and Jason Resch in fifth place for career field goals at UD (23). John Bianchi is fourth with 24.
Justin Watkins is currently second in Flyer career receiving yardage with 1,976 yards. Ryan Wrobleski is the record holder with 2,058. Watkins is fifth in career receptions (108). Next are Tim Eubank (109), Nick Ruhe (113) and Wrobleski (117).
Steve Valentino is third in career total offense with 4,765 yards. Next on the list is Kelly Spiker (5,138). Valentino is also fifth in career yards passing (3,550). In his sights are Kevin Johns (3,572) and B.J. Dailey (3,678). Valentino is now third in career pass completions (268). Steve Keller is next (273). Kevin Hoyng is the record holder with 530. Valentino is also 10th from in all-purpose yardage at UD with 2,760 yards. Jackie Green is ninth (2,826).
PFL MEANS PIONEER FOOTBALL LEADERS
UD leads the PFL in scoring offense (34.5), rushing defense (69.7), kickoff returns (27.8), punt returns (14.3), sacks (3.2), 4th down conversions (88.9%, 8-9), and time of possession (32:42, tied with Campbell). UD is also second in scoring defense (20.7), total offense (380.3), total defense (310.8), rushing offense (181.3), first downs (21.0), sacks allowed (1.2), red zone offense (86.2%, 25-29) and opponent fourth-down conversions (42.9%, 6-14).
Individually, Nick Glavin leads in kick scoring (6.5), PAT’s (27), is second in FG accuracy (.800, 4-5) and tied for fourth in FG’s per game (0.7). Gary Hunter is No.1 in kickoff return average (29.8) and Tyler Hujik is first in punt return average (18.4). Steve Valentino is third in total offense (246.2). Justin Watkins is fourth in receiving yards per game (68.0). Devon Langhorst is second in sacks per game (1.00) and Mike Morante is third (0.90). Matt Pfleger is tied for third in the league in interceptions (0.3) and passes defensed (1.17 per game). James Vercammen is fourth in tackles behind the line (1.42).
THE RED WALL (AND OTHER NATIONAL RANKINGS)
Dayton leads FCS football in rushing defense (69.7). UD is also 10th in sacks per game (3.2). In other national rankings, UD is second in team kickoff return average (27.8). Tyler Hujik is sixth in punt return average (18.4). Devon Langhorst is tied for eighth in sacks (1.0). Gary Hunter is 15th in kickoff return average (29.8).
DAYTON D
Last season, UD led FCS football in pass efficiency defense (96.71) and was second in pass defense yardage (140.1), third in total defense (242.6.10), first in (128.20) and fifth in scoring defense (13.6). UD also led the PFL in first downs allowed (11.8), opponent third down conversions (25.2%), lowest penalty yardage assessed (36.9) and time of possession (33:13 per game).
SHUTTING OUT DISTRACTIONS
Two PFL teams’ last shutout was by the Dayton defense. Naturally one is Davidson, who UD beat last year 17-0 on Oct. 17 (six games ago). The other is San Diego (117 games ago, 41-0 in 1999).
MORE THAN HIS FAIR SHARE
UD head coach Rick Chamberlin has been a part of 317 of UD’s 617 wins – 26 as a player, 268 as an assistant coach, and 23 as a head coach.
600 CLUB
The Flyers became the 11th NCAA FCS team (and the first west of the Alleghenies) to win at least 600 games in its football history when UD beat Davidson on October 18, 2008. Here are the 14 members of the club, heading into the 2010 season. Yale (857), Harvard (805), Penn (804), Princeton (784), Fordham (743), Lafayette (648), Dartmouth (645), Delaware (637), Lehigh (629), Cornell (618), Dayton (612), North Dakota State (604) Northern Iowa (603) and North Dakota (601). Of the 600 Club members, Dayton has played the fewest seasons (102, nine fewer than Fordham’s 110).
PFL POWER
The Flyers’ 71-19 PFL record is the best in the history of the league. UD has won 10 league championships (including ties) in the 17 years the PFL has existed. The rest of the league has 12 combined.
SACKS FOR GROCERIES UD’S 2010 CHARITY INITIATIVE
After picking up “Loose Change” for Catholic Social Services in 2008, and scoring “Touchdowns for Tots” in 2009, the University of Dayton has a new charity of choice this season. It is “Sacks For Groceries.” For every sack the Flyers come up with, PNC Bank will make a donation to a Miami Valley Food Bank. UD’s next sack will bring the total so far this season to $1,000.
TUESDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
The Flyers are continuing “Tuesday Night Lights,” the free program where pee wee football teams take the field for a practice with the University of Dayton football team, for the fourth straight year. Every Tuesday from Sept. 7 to Oct. 26, teams that sign up in advance get a pre-practice talk from Flyer head coach Rick Chamberlin, take the field to warm up with the UD football team, and then observe practice until they go home at 8:30 p.m.
WELCOME MAT
The UD Flyers moved to Welcome Stadium in 1974. The word “Welcome” implies hospitality, but UD has been anything but hospitable to its opponents at home, where it is 197-40-2 (.828). The “Welcome” is not a greeting, but an honor to the late Percival Welcome, longtime AD for the Dayton Public Schools.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK SCORECARD
Twice: James Vercammen; 1 each: Nick Glavin, Taylor Harris, Gary Hunter, Dan Jacob, Devon Langhorst, Nate Miller, Mike Morante, Joe Ries, Eric Robbe, Blake Saul, Tyler Schutz, Eric Studt, Steve Valentino, Chase Walton, Justin Watkins, Steve Wirkus
SCOUTS OF THE WEEK SCORECARD
Twice: Branden Johnson, Justin Simpson, Nick Weston; 1 each: Will Bardo, Kevin Cripe, Pat Dowd, John Ehrensberger, Grant Huckenstein, Tom Hunt, Victor Kaczkowsi, Jacob Rigali, Sal Savato, Sean Sward, Jake Voight, Robert Washington
SAVAGE HITS
Freshman cornerback Howard Savage has two “Hammer Hit of the Week” awards to his credit this season, both on kick coverage. Other Hammers this season are by Bryan Bailin, Devon Langhorst, Zach McPherson and Joe Ries.
FLYER PFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offensive Player of the Week--Steve Valentino: 9/4
Defensive Player of the Week--Brandon Wingeier, 9/18
Defensive Player of the Week--James Vercammen, 10/2
Special Teams Player of the Week--Gary Hunter, 10/2
Defensive Player of the Week--Joe Ries, 10/9
LAST TIME OUT--DAYTON 21, SAN DIEGO 20
Steve Valentino hit Anthony Papp with a 16-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to give Dayton a 21-20 win over San Diego.
The Flyers scored in three plays from their 27-yard line after the Toreros went ahead 20-14 on Sam Scudellari’s scoring pass to Patrick Doyle with about 13 minutes left the fourth quarter.
Valentino found Justin Watkins on a 41-yard pass and, combined with a facemask penalty, moved the ball to the 17. One play later, Valentino found a wide open Papp for the score that tied it at 20. Nick Glavin’s kick for the extra point put the Flyers ahead.
The Flyer defense came up with two big fourth-down stops on USD’s last two drives. With 7:24 left, UD defensive end Devon Langhorst made the initial hit on San Diego running back Phil Morelli and linebacker Joe Ries kept Morelli from getting a second-effort first down on fourth and one at the Dayton 30. Then, with 48 seconds left on a fourth-and-three at midfield, Ries came on a blitz and tipped Mason Mills’ pass.
Ries led UD with 10 tackles and the pass batted down. James Vercammen and Langhorst each added nine hits and a sack.
San Diego’s Mills threw a 19-yard scoring pass to John McGough. Stanley Shurson kicked field goals of 29 and 36 yards.
Taylor Harris scored on a 2-yard run and threw a TD pass to Valentino to go ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. Valentino was nine of 18 passing for 189 yards. Justin Watkins caught four passes for 97 yards.
Punter Nate Miller averaged 35.2 yards a punt, with three of his kicks downed inside the 20.
SUPER STAT
UP NEXT
UD will return home to face Campbell on October 23. UD’s 1980 NCAA Division III national championship team will be honored at halftime as part of a reunion weekend. Game time is 1:00 p.m. ET.
When Jon Gruden coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl championship in 2003, he became the second UD grad to coach a Super Bowl winner. Former UD co-captain and 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XII & XIV) as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Noll started at center and linebacker for the Flyers and graduated from the University in 1953. Gruden played quarterback at Dayton and earned his degree in 1986. UD became only the third school (now there are four) to have two alumni coach Super Bowl winners. The others are San Jose State, with grads Bill Walsh (XIV, XIX, XXIII) and Dick Vermeil (XXXIV), Arkansas with grads Jimmy Johnson (XXVII, XXVIII) and Barry Switzer (XXX), and Eastern Illinois with Mike Shanahan (XXXII, XXXIII) and Sean Payton (XLIV).
At the time of their wins, Gruden was the second-youngest coach to win a Super Bowl and Noll is the fifth-youngest.
As a matter of fact, UD has ties to 19 Super Bowl rings. In addition to Noll’s four and Gruden’s one, five former members of Dayton coaching staffs own a total of 14 Super Bowl rings between them. They are the late Len Fontes (New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI), Jon’s father Jim Gruden (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowls XXII & XXIV), current Saints QB coach Joe Lombardi (XLIV), John McVay (49ers, XVI, XIX, XXII, & XXIV), current Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore (Steelers, XIII & XIV, Colts XLI) and George Perles (Steelers, IX, X, XII & XIV). McVay was the Flyers’ head coach from 1965-72, and Fontes, Jim Gruden, Moore and Perles were on his staff. Lombardi, an Air Force Academy grad and the grandson of Vince Lombardi, began his coaching career at Dayton. He coached for three seasons on Mike Kelly’s staff while stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
