JCU alumni who have been in the NFL

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2.

3. David Caldwell, ’96: Scout, player personnel Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons. Now GM of Jacksonville Jaguars.

4. Nick Caserio, ’98: Director of Player Personnel, New England Patriots.

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8. Ben Milsom, ’01: Marketing position, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

9. Josh McDaniels, ’98: Offensive coordinator New England Patriots; former head coach Denver Broncos.

10. Pat Moriarty, ’93: Vice President of Football Administration, Baltimore Ravens.

11. Ken O’Keefe, ’75: Coach, Miami Dolphins.

12. Chris Polian, ’93: Player personnel, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers; GM, Indianapolis Colts; scout, Atlanta Falcons.

13. Chuck Priefer, ’63: Coach, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers; video specialist for NFL.

14. Greg Roman, ’94: Coach, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans. Now offensive coordinator for San Francisco 49ers.

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17. Gary Stevens, ’65: Coach, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders.

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20. Tom Telesco, ’95: Front office, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts; Vice President of Indianapolis Colts; now GM San Diego Chargers.

21. Dick Walker, ’55: Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers.Â

22. Larry Wanke, ’93: Player, New York Giants (Drafted, did not play).

23. David Zigler, ’01: Pro scout, Denver Broncos.Â

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When new football coach Tom Arth meets with recruits, he cannot in good faith tell them that enrolling at John Carroll University increases their likelihood to play on Sundays.

But as they stroll through the Don Shula Memorabilia Room -- dedicated to one of the Jesuit school's most famous alumni -- Arth can make a case that becoming a Blue Streak could help them coach on Sundays. Or, scout on Saturdays. Or, oversee the operations of an entire NFL franchise seven days a week.

This Division III football program in University Heights isn't the nexus of the NFL universe. But these days folks here can't be faulted for thinking John Carroll Boulevard is an avenue that takes them there.

All four teams playing in Sunday's NFL conference championship games have Blue Streak connections. Greg Roman (class of 1994) is the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator. Chris Polian ('93) serves as an Atlanta Falcons scout. The Baltimore Ravens have Pat Moriarty ('93) as their vice president of football administration while the New England Patriots boast three ties: Nick Caserio ('98), director of player personnel; Josh McDaniels ('98), offensive coordinator; Frank Ross ('10), scout.

Forty years after Shula coached the Miami Dolphins to the last perfect NFL season, his alma mater and the league are more entwined than ever. In the past two weeks, Carroll graduates and Blue Streak teammates David Caldwell ('96) and Tom Telesco ('95) were named general managers in Jacksonville and San Diego, respectively.

"It truly is amazing," said Arth, a former backup quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. "It's something we take a lot of pride in as a football program and a university. We talk all the time about what it means to graduate from John Carroll and the responsibilities that go with it. We are all reaping the benefits from the university's reputation."

Several "Men of Carroll" point to the school's mission statement, the football program's history and its growing network of NFL contacts as reasons for having 12 graduates currently working in the league and at least 25 Super Bowl rings on the fingers of its alumni. This isn't Ohio State or Alabama or even a small-school dynamo like Mount Union. The Blue Streaks haven't won an Ohio Athletic Conference title since 1994, yet occupy positions of power in the nation's most popular sports league.

Shula, the subject of a CBS special airing Feb. 2 at 3 p.m., marvels at the expanse of John Carroll's prominence since he played here in the early 1950s.

"It's great to see the tradition carrying on," said Shula, 83. "It speaks highly of the kind of people our school is producing."

Men for others

Telesco, 40, can recall the recruiting letter he received from John Carroll that included Shula's signature. Born four days before the '72 Dolphins would cap a 14-0 regular season, Telesco knew it was a form letter, but he was impressed that Shula would lend his name to process.

"Seeing that signature was striking," Telesco said. "It really gets your mind racing."

He played wide receiver for the '94 OAC championship team, but like so many Division III players harboring NFL aspirations, Telesco knew they would have to be realized outside the locker room. Pro Bowl linebacker London Fletcher, of the Washington Redskins, is the Blue Streaks' only current player.

Before graduating with a degree in business management, Telesco worked a summer internship with the Buffalo Bills. The next year he earned another one with expansion Carolina, where he spent months volunteering for any task. He worked in the Panthers weight room and equipment room and jumped like a terrier to a mailman's pant leg at any assignment from a coach. He eventually found a home in the Panthers' scouting department.

"I was determined to make myself indispensable," Telesco said.

"I do know that when you are playing Division III football you must have a real passion for it because you are not there on scholarship paying your way through school ... When you are done with football you want to find a way to stay in it someway, somehow."

Purdue is the only other college to feature two current NFL general managers. Arth believes Telesco and Caldwell exemplify the John Carroll way.

"Our university mission is to graduate individuals with the intellect and character to lead and to serve," Arth said. "That leadership piece is important, but what sets us apart is the service aspect of our mission: being a true man for others.

"Most of our [NFL] guys started in entry-level positions for very little pay or no pay at all and they are doing a great job of helping other people become successful first."

'Knocking on doors'

Trophies and other keepsakes from Don Shula's record-setting NFL career are easy to find at John Carroll University. "It's great to see the tradition carrying on," Shula says of JCU's ongoing NFL connections. "It speaks highly of the kind of people our school is producing."

JCU alumni currently in the NFL

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Shula recently hosted a dinner party in his home for members of the '72 Dolphins. It was a special night filled with great memories and stories. He only wishes Carl Taseff had been alive to share in the festivities. Shula, of Grand River, and Taseff, of Parma, were college roommates who played together with the Browns and Baltimore Colts.

Taseff, a longtime NFL assistant, won two Super Bowl rings working on Shula's Miami staff. He also won a pair of championships as a defensive back with the Colts. Shula and Taseff weren't the first to reach the NFL from John Carroll -- the honor belongs to Gene Stringer with the 1925 Cleveland Bulldogs -- but it was their teams that started to solidify the university's connection to the league.

Then-Blue Streaks coach Herb Eisele was a great admirer of Browns patriarch Paul Brown. His three-man staff led John Carroll to a stunning 21-16 win over Syracuse in 1950.

"We ran a college version of the Browns playbook," said Shula, the league's all-time winningest coach. "It gave us good instruction at the college level for a career in the NFL. That continued after Carl [Tassef] and I both had success. It just seemed to keep building."

Although the game is a labor of love for many of its players, John Carroll will never be mistaken for a football factory. The school has a strong educational track record. It's ranked top-10 among Midwest (Master's) Universities for 23 consecutive years in the U.S. News & World Report annual guide of "America's Best Colleges." In the past three years, 95 percent of Carroll's football players have earned degrees, a university spokesperson confirmed.

"With all its emphasis on education, John Carroll has still always treated football like it was a priority," Telesco said. "It wasn't just a club sport. They put a lot of effort and resources into it.

"And when you see the people who've come before you get a chance to get into the NFL, it inspires you. It makes you want to keep knocking on doors and working hard and try to get your foot in the door."

Helping hands

Browns CEO Joe Banner is proof a student doesn't have to graduate from a major college to reach the highest levels of pro sports. When Banner served as team president of the Philadelphia Eagles, the baseball Phillies were being headed by Bill Giles. Both men are graduates of Denison University in Granville, a small town about 30 miles northeast of Columbus.

"We used to joke all the time, 'What are the chances of two people from the same school running two pro franchises in the same city?'" Banner said.

When resumes from familiar institutions come across an executive's desk, Banner said, they tend to get a longer look.

"A big part of what goes on in pro sports, for better or worse, is networking," he said.

Arth suffered an injury during his senior season, one that scared off most teams who thought of inviting him to their training camps in 2003. But the Colts gave him an opportunity. At the time, the staff included three JCU graduates: Chris Polian, Telesco and Caldwell.

"It's the same thing with Tom as it is all John Carroll guys," Telesco said. "You may get an opportunity because there are so many JCU people in the league. You may get an interview or a foot in the door, but it's what you do after that that counts. All of our jobs depend on [success]. That's how we make a living . ... There's no way in this league that you keep anyone around just as a favor."

Arth, 31, was part quarterback, part coach's assistant in Indianapolis, Telesco said, often completing projects for Colts star Peyton Manning. Telesco continues to assist Arth, putting him in contact with influential college and pro coaches as he makes the transition from Blue Streaks assistant to head coach.

Less than two years ago, the John Carroll staff began framing bios of graduates with NFL links. They're also combing the archives to see if there are more championships rings that have gone undocumented. The school is guaranteed to add at least one more on Feb. 3.

Arth can't promise prospects he will transform them into the next London Fletcher. He can, however, point them to the wall of influence in the Shula room. When Arth says he's got NFL connections, it's not just another recruiting pitch.