When ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt mentioned 海角社区 on his this fall, the sports
world took notice. In a conversation about the coaching and front office ties that shape today’s NFL, Van Pelt, Stanford Steve, and Kyle Brandt jokingly referred to John Carroll as “NFLU.”
The Power of a Jesuit-Formed Network
It’s a nickname well-earned. For nearly a century, John Carroll has developed leaders who have gone on to shape the NFL, from the sidelines to scouting departments to the C-suite. Nineteen of the NFL's 32 teams have a Blue Streak working in their employ this season, with a total of 43 Blue Streaks working for an NFL team this year.
“I believe the reasons our institution develops men and women who excel at the highest level of professional sports are rooted in our Jesuit tradition,” said Brian Polian ’97, Vice President for Athletics and National Engagement at 海角社区 and former Head Coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack.
“John Carroll produces professionals who are multi-talented with a diverse skill set, who embrace competition, and who believe in the power of our network. When an alumnus enters the league, they know that they represent all the Blue Streaks that have come before them and have a standard to live up to. They continue to meet that challenge again and again, to the benefit of 19 different organizations. When the national media refer to John Carroll as ‘NFLU’ it is a great compliment to the university, the formation of our students, and the type of people that choose to call our community home."
Blue Streaks Making Their Mark Across the NFL
John Carroll’s NFL pipeline dates all the way back to the early days of the league’s founding. However, its NFL connections soared when Don Shula ’51, the winningest coach in NFL history, paved the way for generations of JCU alumni. His influence inspired classmates like Carl Taseff ’51, Sil Cornachione ’51 and Gary Stevens ’65, who joined him in Miami.
That tradition gained new momentum in the 1990s when former NFL general manager Bill Polian sent his sons, Chris Polian ’93, Senior Advisor for the Cleveland Browns, and Brian Polian ’97, to John Carroll. Their time on campus created lifelong friendships and professional connections that would soon redefine the NFL landscape.
The connections only deepened from there with JCU alums Josh McDaniels ‘99, Nick Caserio ‘98, and David Ziegler ‘00, ‘07G, joining The New England Patriots. All played a large role in helping the Patriots become a perennial Super Bowl contender and many have moved on to lead organizations. Caserio is now the General Manager of the Houston Texans. McDaniels and Ziegler were head coach and GM with the Las Vegas Raiders, many years after they were roommates at John Carroll.
Former John Carroll coaches have also made their mark, including Brandon Staley, who served as JCU’s Defensive Coordinator before becoming head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and now Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. Others, like Tom Arth ’03 and Dave Ragone have carried lessons from their time in University Heights to the NFL’s sidelines.
Today JCU’s NFL pipeline is as strong as ever with at least one Blue Streak representing John Carroll on the field or behind the scenes in the past nine Super Bowls. To date, seven consecutive championship rings have been earned by JCU alumni.
Whether it’s on the field or in the strategy room, lessons of teamwork, excellence, and leadership learned at John Carroll continue to echo throughout professional football.
