University of Dayton Athletics

DAN SHARLEY - Football 1987-1990

The starting quarterback on the University of Dayton's 1989 NCAA Division III national championship team, Dan Sharley was a Flyer passer ahead of his time. UD won a national championship in 1980 with a powerful running game, but Sharley brought a strong and accurate right arm to campus in time for UD's second championship run at the end of the decade.

After lettering as a backup in 1988, and leading the Flyers to a playoff-clinching win as a sophomore, Sharley took over as UD's starting quarterback and led his team to a 13-0-1 record and its second national title. Sharley completed 100-of-166 passes (.602) for 1,206 yards and six TDs in 1989.

As a senior, Sharley was selected as a team co-captain and guided UD back to the playoffs. As the Dayton starting QB in 1989 and 1990, he presided over the longest winning streak in Flyer football history, 22 games. The Flyers won the final 11 games of 1989 to storm to the national championship and the first 11 of the 1990 season.

Under the pressure of defending a championship and keeping the streak alive, is when Sharley's star shone the brightest. As a senior, he led NCAA Division III in passing efficiency, setting the Dayton records for completion percentage in a game (minimum 20 attempts, 18-of-22, .818) in the season opener at John Carroll and in a season (.627, 121-193). He was also the first Dayton football player to compile over 300 yards in total offense in a game (326 vs. Ferrum).

As the Flyer offense has evolved in the pass-first, ask-questions-later offense it is today, all but the single-game completion percentage record have been broken. The Nashville, Tenn. native is currently second in career completion percentage (.618, 247-400), fourth in career completions (247), fifth in passing yardage (3,229) and sixth in total offense (3,636).

Sharley was a member of four NCAA playoff teams that had a combined record of 44-6-1, and had a record of 25-1-1 with him as a starter. After his playing days were over, Sharley earned an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.