Jon Gruden name drops many famous Flyers in latest box-opening video

Gruden’s latest video Tuesday, posted to X, Instagram and Facebook, showed him opening a box from the University of Dayton.

“Ohhhh BABY this is the box of all boxes,” Gruden wrote in the post with the video. “IT’S MY ALMA MATER!

“While I wasn’t the greatest quarterback in the world, my time as a Dayton Flyer was some of the best of my life. Thank you to Coach (Trevor) Andrews, Tony Caruso and Dayton football. See you guys Week 1 at Eastern Illinois!!”

Gruden had previously mentioned on social media he plans to attend Dayton’s season-opening game on the road.

Gruden talked about numerous Dayton names in the video, starting with Caruso, the longtime equipment manager for the UD football program.

Who else did Gruden mention as he pulled out a collection of shirts and hats from the big cardboard box? Here’s a list of all the names in the order Gruden mentioned them.

• The Wright brothers.

“The guys that invented airplanes came from Dayton,” Gruden said. “Hence, the Dayton Flyers.”

• Phil Nussman and Todd Morris, the quarterbacks ahead of Gruden on the depth chart.

“I didn’t get to play much because we had good quarterbacks,” Gruden said.

• Tailback Rob Diorio, the 14th-leading rusher in UD history, who played during Gruden’s era (1982-85). Diorio was Gruden’s roommate.

“He was a hell of a back, man,” Gruden said.

• Tailback Jackie Green, the 11th-leading rusher in school history.

• Tailback Andre Collins, whose 82-yard run in 1982 is the third longest in school history.

• Fullback Tim Norbut, who scored 40 touchdowns in two seasons (1985-86).

• Head coach Mike Kelly, who led the program for 27 seasons and had a record of 246-54-1.

“You know where Mike Kelly is now?” Gruden said. “He’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.”

• Chuck Noll, a 1953 UD graduate who played running back before gaining fame as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“He went to four Super Bowls,” Gruden said. “I wonder if Chuck Noll hung out at Timothy’s, where I used to hang out. I had a bucket of beer in there one time by myself.”

• Offensive lineman John Mauro, who won the The Lt. Andy Zulli Trophy in 1986, the year after Gruden won the same award. The honor “is awarded each year to the senior football player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship and character.”

• Offensive lineman Larry Raville, a team captain in 1985. He also roomed with Gruden.

“Of course, (Mauro and Raville) would come out of the game when I got in the game because they were starters,” Gruden said.

• John McVay, Dayton’s head coach from 1965-72 and later the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.

“Sean McVay’s grandfather was the head coach at Dayton,” Gruden said.

• Wayne Fontes, a member of McVay’s staff.

“The winningest coach of the Detroit Lions,” Gruden said.

• Jim Gruden, Jon’s dad, another member of McVay’s staff.

• George Perles, a McVay assistant who became the defensive coordinator under Noll with the Steelers and then the head coach at Michigan State.

• Tom Moore, another McVay assistant who gained fame in the NFL.

“The mastermind behind Peyton Manning and his offensive machine, the Indianapolis Colts,” Gruden said.

• Jerry Hanlon, a McVay assistant who was a longtime assistant coach on Bo Schembechler’s staff at Michigan.

• Wally Neal, a Dayton assistant coach.

• Len Fontes, the older brother of Wayne Fontes. Len was a defensive backs coach at Dayton in the 1960s and later coached in the NFL.

• Gerry Faust, a UD graduate who later was the head coach at Notre Dame.

• Don Donoher, Dayton’s winningest basketball coach.

• Anthony Grant, Dayton’s current basketball coach who graduated from UD one year after Gruden.

• Obi Toppin, the national player of the year at Dayton in 2020.

• DaRon Holmes II, a first-round NBA Draft pick from Dayton in 2024.

• Members of Dayton’s 1984 Elite Eight team: Roosevelt Chapman; Damon Goodwin; and Sedric Toney.

“We were burning down furniture,” Gruden said. “We beat Oklahoma. We beat LSU. What a freakin team.”

• Trevor Andrews, Dayton’s current head football coach, and former head coaches Rick Carter and Rick Chamberlain.

• Jon Husted, a former Flyer cornerback and kick returner who is now a United States Senator from Ohio.

• Dan Jurkowitz, a linebacker who was a team captain in 1984.

“He had a nose for the ball, man,” Gruden said.

• Jim Pitzer, a wide receiver who won the Flyer of the Year award in 1984.

• Charlie Moushey, a wide receiver in Gruden’s era.