Hall of Fame
B. JAY DAILEY – Football, Baseball 1974-78
The team captain and White-Allen Most Valuable Player of UD's 1977 team that finished 8-3, B. Jay Dailey was statistically the Flyers' best scholarship quarterback. And he was also Dayton's last scholarship quarterback.
A star at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, Dailey is UD's career scholarship leader in passing yardage (3,678), total offense (3,890), pass completions (233) and attempts (509). He is currently fifth, seventh, fourth and fourth respectively in those categories.
After going 8-for-23 (.381) for 78 yards as a freshman, Dailey moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore, and was 64-o- 155 (.413) for 1,118 yards. As a junior, he was 61-for-135 (.452) for 891 yards.
After three seasons of a combined record of 12 wins and 21 losses (and only three winning seasons in the previous 19 years), the University changed coaches and announced that it was going to non-scholarship football. UD would have a transitional season, and then join Division III.
It was a tipping point for the Flyer football program. At that time, no other team had gone from Division I to Division III. If the move failed, chances are the University would have dropped the sport.
As important as Dailey's contribution was on the field, it was his leadership during the transition through the new direction for the program with a brand new coaching staff that was even more important.
And he was brilliant on the field, leading the Flyers to an 8-3 record, matching the most wins at UD in 35 years. Dailey closed his career by completing 100 of 196 passes (.510) for 1,601 yards against a schedule that included nationally-ranked Iowa State, who the Flyers led 10-3 at halftime, but eventually lost to 17-10.
With that touchstone 1977 season, the future of the Flyer football program was secure, paving the way for four national championships, 11 Pioneer Football League titles and 12 post-season appearances in the next 37 seasons.
