From D3 Athlete to NFL Dynasty
The Unlikely Journey of Chiefs' Quarterbacks Coach David Girardi
The NFL Playoffs are in full swing.
And while many will be focused on the big names like Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud this weekend, we can’t help but give a shoutout to one former D3 athlete who will be making an impact.
We teamed up with our friends over at Joker Mag to bring you an improbable D3 to Pro underdog story.
We present, the journey of David Girardi: From D3 Athlete to NFL Dynasty!
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From D3 to NFL Dynasty
How do you develop an NFL superstar like Patrick Mahomes? Place him under the tutelage of a former D3 quarterback apparently.
In 2017, the Chiefs raised eyebrows by trading up to grab quarterback Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech with the 10th overall selection in the NFL draft.
A few months later in February of 2018, the Chiefs hired David Girardi - a former D3 Quarterback from Geneva College with no previous NFL coaching experience - as an offensive quality control analyst.
Most people know the story of what happened next for the Chiefs.
They traded Alex Smith and Mahomes turned out to be a generational talent. But today we’re bringing you another story that was happening in the background:
How a 2x All-American D3 Quarterback became a Super Bowl winning QB Coach and an instrumental part of Mahomes’ development in the NFL.
David Girardi’s journey began in an unlikely place.
He was born and raised in New Kensington, Pennsylvania – a suburb of Pittsburgh and home to 12,000 people.
After his freshman year at Valley High School, his family moved 1,000 miles south to St. Petersburg, Florida.
He went from a state with all four seasons to warm weather year-round.
“I’d miss the snow when I was there and come back [to Pennsylvania] for Christmas break,” he said in 2009. “Then I’d wonder why I missed winter.”
In Florida, he had to make new friends, connect with new teammates, and learn how to be a starting high school quarterback.
Luckily, there were some familiar faces at St. Petersburg Catholic to help him with the transition.
His father, Frank, and older brother, Mike, joined the team as assistant coaches.
In fact, the Girardi family is full of football coaches.
His father, uncle, and two older brothers all coached at the high school or college level. On the side, his dad also sold headsets and other communication devices to coaches.
“I think that was instilled in (David), ‘Hey, we are a coaching family,’” Frank Girardi said. “I am sure it’s something that he’s always had a desire to do.”
David was a three-year starter for St. Petersburg Catholic and caught the attention of several college recruiters.
But a broken hand deflated the interest of Division I schools like Purdue and Akron.
That’s when he found Geneva, a private Christian college not far from his hometown in Pennsylvania.
When David committed, Geneva’s football program was in the middle of a transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III.
The move meant no athletic scholarships, stricter academic standards, and a whole new level of competition.
“David always wanted every play to be perfect,” said Geneva College head coach Geno DeMarco.
“I could see that he was a student of the game, and we spent a lot of time watching practice and game film.”
Those extra study hours paid off.
Girardi took the reins as the starting quarterback as a sophomore and never let go.
In 30 career starts, he threw for 5,997 yards and 37 touchdowns.
“If the game was played the way everyone plays it now,” DeMarco said, “his numbers would have been outrageous.”
In 2009, he led Geneva to a “dramatic comeback victory” in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Victory Bowl. He was also an NCCAA All-American in his final two college seasons.
But before he knew it, his playing days were coming to an end.
“When you’re young, you always want to play the game as long as you can,” Girardi said.
“You have visions of being a player (in the NFL). Then, you realize it’s not cut out for everybody. Then, what’s the next alternative?”
For David, the answer was obvious. He was a Girardi after all.
In 2011, he started as a graduate assistant at D2 Seton Hill University. After two seasons there, he returned to coach quarterbacks at his alma mater.
“He was tremendous at preparing our quarterbacks,” said DeMarco. “We were one of the top offenses in the conference during his time on staff.”
With David in charge of the passing attack, Geneva broke many single-game and single-season school passing records.
The early success led to his first big break – an offer from Northwestern University to work as their quality control coach.
Girardi joined a staff that included former NFL journeyman Mike Kafka – a connection that would pay off down the line.
“He really learned defense at Northwestern and that was the best thing he could do – to learn what the other side does,” DeMarco said.
“You could see it in him, that he had what it took to be a success.”
After three seasons with the Wildcats, Girardi moved on to Lafayette College to serve as the quarterbacks coach.
There, he helped a true freshman quarterback break the school record for completions.
A few months later, his phone rang.
“Hey David, it’s Andy Reid.”
At first, he must’ve thought it was a prank.
But it turned out to be very real. His old buddy Mike Kafka had recommended him for a quality control job with the Chiefs.
If there was a football equivalent to the American Dream, this was it:
Division III QB
Division II grad assistant
Division III QB coach
Division I quality control coach and defensive assistant
Division I QB coach
NFL quality control coach
In 2021, he earned a promotion to assistant quarterbacks coach and pass game analyst.
Two years later, he took over as the top quarterbacks coach.
The days are long, especially for someone with David’s work ethic.
“Believe me, he’s a grinder,” said his father, Frank.
“He gets there at 5 o’clock in the morning, always one of the first ones there when they open.”
His day ends after midnight. Then the schedule repeats the next day.
Ahead of his first Super Bowl appearance, Girardi showed poise under pressure.
“A lot of things are external, as far as the changes, the limelight, the media, the number of fans at the game,” David said.
“But a lot of the internal stuff, as far game-planning and football being football, is the same. That’s what’s kind of neat about it.”
As the cherry on top, he was inducted into the Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 for his achievements as a player.
He’s come a long way since then.
Now seven seasons deep into his NFL coaching career, David Girardi is quickly running out of fingers for his Super Bowl rings.
“You grow when you are uncomfortable,” he said in 2019.
“I've been at five places in eight years, at all different levels, coaching both offense and defense, and I've grown because of it. It's laid a solid foundation for me to build upon."
We hope you enjoyed this special collaboration with Joker Mag. If you want more of the best underdog stories in sports, make sure to check out their website and throw them a follow on Twitter. Fun fact - their founder is a former D3 Student-Athlete. Just one more reason to love what they’re doing!
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