A Monday Night party
Two former Flyers faced off as head coaches during NFL’s Monday Night Football, and alumni were there to root them both on.
Monday Night Football bled red and blue earlier this week, though those weren’t exactly the colors of the two teams facing off. Former Flyer Brandon Staley ’05 coached the Los Angeles Chargers to a 28-14 victory over Jon Gruden ’86 and the Las Vegas Raiders.
After a 35-minute weather delay for lightning, the Chargers completed 25 of 38 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, stripping the Raiders of their early season undefeated title. Both teams play in the NFL’s American Football Conference West Division.
More than 20 alumni and donors attended the game, including Athletic Director Neil Sullivan, to cheer on both teams at SoFi Stadium, home of the Chargers. They were seated in a group together near the endzone, displaying a large University of Dayton flag.
“The game was awesome, just the experience of it and seeing the mass production of getting this game together was unbelievable,” said David Terkoski ’82, former UD football player and member of the 1980 Division III National Championship team. “It was great to be back around that Flyer fever.”
Gruden was a back-up quarterback for three seasons for the Flyers. Staley played 2001–04 and was a two-year starter at quarterback for the Flyers, guiding the team to a 16-5 record. Both played for longtime Flyer coach Mike Kelly.
Another Flyer ranks among UD's NFL head coaches. Chuck Noll ’53, nicknamed “the Pope,” by his Dayton teammate for his profound knowledge of the game, served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1991. He led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships.
“I always tell people that UD is the only university with the coaches with the most Super Bowl rings, and they don’t believe me!” Terkoski said. “But it’s the truth.”