John Carroll Blue Streaks football
Football team for John Carroll University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The John Carroll Blue Streaks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for John Carroll University located in the U.S. state of Ohio. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division III level and are members of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). The team was established in 1920 and plays its home games at the 5,416 seat Don Shula Stadium.[2] As of the 2016 season, John Carroll has won 11 conference titles, 7 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference and 4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Drew Nystrom serves as the interim head football coach.[3] During the 2022 season, John Carroll celebrated its 100th season of football.[4]
1st season, 0–0 (–)
| John Carroll Blue Streaks football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1920 |
| Head coach | Brian Polian 1st season, 0–0 (–) |
| Location | University Heights, Ohio |
| Stadium | Don Shula Stadium |
| NCAA division | Division III |
| Conference | NCAC |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| Conference championships | |
| PAC: 1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1969, 1971, 1974 OAC: 1938, 1989, 1994, 2016 NCAC: 2025 | |
| Website | JCUSports.com |
Postseason appearances
NCAA Division III playoffs
The Blue Streaks have made nine appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 13–9.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | First Round | Dayton | L, 10–35 |
| 1997 | First Round Second Round |
Hanover Mount Union |
W, 30–20 L, 7–59 |
| 2002 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Hobart Muhlenberg Brockport Mount Union |
W, 27–7 W, 21–10 W, 16–10 OT L, 19–57 |
| 2013 | First Round | St. John Fisher | L, 16–25 |
| 2014 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Centre (KY) Wheaton (IL) Mount Union |
W, 63–28 W, 14–12 L, 28–36 |
| 2016 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Olivet Wesley Wisconsin–Whitewater Wisconsin–Oshkosh |
W, 37–12 W, 20–17 2OT W, 31–14 L, 3–10 |
| 2018 | First Round | Randolph–Macon | L, 20–23 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round |
Mount St. Joseph Mount Union |
W, 52–7 L, 7–42 |
| 2025 | Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Randolph–Macon Mount Union Berry North Central (IL) |
W, 35–6 W, 10–7 2OT W, 21–13 L, 21–41 |
Rivals
John Carroll has two predominant rivals.
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- Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets – The rivalry dates back to 1923, with John Carroll leading the all-time series 30–25–4.[5] The series drew huge crowds during the 1930s and 1940s during Cleveland's Big Four college football era, when games were played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium and League Park.[6] Since 1989, a rivalry has been dubbed the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl. John Carroll has won nine straight over Baldwin Wallace, including a 29–28 win on November 13, 2021 that featured an 18-point fourth quarter comeback.[7]
- Mount Union Purple Raiders – On November 12, 2016, the Blue Streaks ended Mount Union's 112 regular season game win streak.[8] Mount Union holds a 34–3–2 all-time series lead.[9] John Carroll most recently beat Mount Union in a double overtime victory in the Third Round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on December 6, 2025.
Notable alumni
John Carroll has been noted as a "springboard" to NFL personnel positions.[10]
- Graham Armstrong – professional football player, Cleveland Rams and Buffalo Bills
- Tom Arth – professional football player, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers, former head coach for University of Akron
- David Caldwell – former general manager, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Nick Caserio – general manager, Houston Texans[11]
- Enrique Ecker – professional football player, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Redskins
- London Fletcher – professional football player, St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins
- Josh McDaniels – offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, former head coach of the Denver Broncos
- Brian Polian – college football coach, current athletic director for John Carroll University
- Chris Polian – American football scout and executive, NFL
- Chuck Priefer – former assistant coach, NFL
- Greg Roman – offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, former for the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens
- Don Shula – professional football player and Hall of Fame coach, Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins
- Carl Taseff – professional football player and coach, Baltimore Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins
- Tom Telesco – former general manager, Las Vegas Raiders
- Jerry Schuplinski – assistant coach, Houston Texans
- Ken O'Keefe – former quarterbacks coach, University of Iowa
- Nick Caley – offensive coordinator, Houston Texans[12]
- Frank Ross – assistant coach, Houston Texans
- Dave Ziegler – assistant general manager, NFL
- Nick Ciulli - Head Football Coach, North Royalton High School, 21 seasons
