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The 1997 football team is the 13th set of teams inducted into the Hall of Fame and sported a 10-2 (9-1 OAC) record, becoming the first JCU football team to reach double-digit wins in a season. Led by Hall of Famer Tony DeCarlo and captained by Nick Caserio, London Fletcher, Mark DiDonato and Jack Marinelli, they also became the first team to win a playoff game, defeating Hanover on the road, 30-20, in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. In order to clinch a playoff berth in the final game of the regular season, the Blue Streaks fended off rival Baldwin Wallace 20-17 in JCU's first-ever overtime game as freshman Dave Vitatoe kicked the 27-yard, game-winning field goal. With their only two losses being to eventual national champions Mount Union, the Blue Streaks were able to outscore their opponents 370-219. Eight players (Fletcher, Caserio, Vitatoe, David Ziegler, Tom Rini, Bryan Fialkowski, Craig Recko and Larry Holmes) were later inducted into the Hall of Fame as individuals. Fletcher etched his name into John Carroll lore as a senior by having one of the finest season any Blue Streak has ever had, notching First Team All-American honors by all four publications and a single-season record 202 tackles as he later enjoyed a 16-year NFL career, had his JCU No. 3 retired in 2017 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Returner Ziegler and punter Josh Schneider were also All-Americans that season, and there were 12 All-OAC selections from the squad as well. Four members of the team (Caserio, Josh McDaniels, Ziegler and Jerry Schuplinski) later won a combined 18 Super Bowl rings as members of the New England Patriots' coaching and front office staff.
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