Before Nick Sirianni became a Super Bowl-winning head coach, he had dreams of reaching the same dizzy heights as a player.
In his college days, Sirianni played wide receiver for NCAA Division III school Mount Union.
With the Ohio-based Purple Raiders football program, he won three national championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
Sirianni also recorded an impressive 998 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior in 2003.
While he never made it to the NFL as a player, some of his college highlights have surfaced after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl glory from the sideline.
And, it turns out, Sirianni was a bit of a beast, standing at 6ft 4in and weighing in at 184lbs for his senior year.
Wearing the No. 25 jersey, he is seen making a number of impressive catches – including some in traffic – and even scoring a couple of touchdowns.
Footage of Sirianni’s college skills quickly went viral, with many on social media shocked by his hands.
“Alright, sticking in there and catching a post knowing he’s gonna get blown up, I respect that,” one person wrote.
“Never knew Sirianni had moves like that, must have been the secret weapon back in the day,” another said.
“My head coach was a dawg,” a third concluded.
While Sirianni didn’t make it to the NFL as a wide out, he did play one season for the Canton Legends of the American Indoor Football League before turning to coaching.
And on the sidelines, he has found far more success.
Sirianni began as the defensive backs coach at Mount Union, his alma mater, and after one season, was hired by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania – a Division II program.
There, he coached wide receivers for three seasons, and in 2009 he got his NFL break.
Sirianni was hired as offensive quality control coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and later was promoted to wide receivers coach.
But he was not retained for the 2013 season by incoming head coach Andy Reid, and went on to take roles with the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts, becoming offensive coordinator for the latter.
After three years with the Colts, he was hired as head coach of the Eagles and the rest, of course, is history.
In Philly, Sirianni has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL, with a 48-20 record after four seasons and a Super Bowl ring to boot.
He is also beloved by his players, and perhaps it’s his own experience as a college WR that helps him connect with those on the field.
“It’s incredible to have a coach like him who cares about each individual on this team,” veteran long-snapper Rick Lovato said ahead of this year’s Super Bowl.
“He’s a special coach.”
Linebacker Nakobe Dean, meanwhile, believes there is no one else like Sirianni in the NFL.
“When it comes to being for your players and having the utmost confidence and respect for your players, I think Nick Sirianni is second to none.”
