Marc Trestman is considered one of football’s great minds when it comes to QB whispering as he has played a hand in many a great QB’s ascensions or been on the coaching staff as of their rise.
After being unable to wrest the starting QB job at Minnesota, Marc Trestman transferred to Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
Unsigned, he spent camp with the Vikings in ’79 and ’80 as a defensive back but didn’t crack the lineup.
He began his college coaching career at Miami (FL) in 1981, and by ’83 was serving as the team’s QB coach.
Then in 1985, Trestman embarked on a series of stops as a positional coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL (Vikings, Browns, 49ers, Lions, Cardinals, Raiders, and Dolphins).
After a brief stop at NC State in 2005-’06, Trestman returned to the NFL as a consultant with the New Orleans Saints in 2007.
It’d be in late 2007 that Marc really carved out a name for himself as he was hired as HC of the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.
Paired with GM Jim Popp, Marc’s Alouette teams won back to back CFL Grey Cups in 2009 and 2010.
By 2012, Trestman was garnering NFL attention, and in 2013 he was hired as the Chicago Bears head coach.
Trestman was the first coach since Bud Grant to jump from the CFL to the NFL.
He’d finish his rookie head coaching season 8-8 as the Bears would break multiple offensive team records.
Unfortunately he’d not see the same success in 2014, as the team slid to 5-11.
After a stop in Baltimore as their OC in 205/’16, Marc returned to the CFL where he had the most success.
Reunited with Jim Popp – this time in Toronto, where the Argos pulled off a worst to first, winning the Great Cup in 2017.
He’d be fired after the 2018 season.
Marc hopped on over to the XFL 2020, where he coached the Tampa Bay Vipers to a 1-4 record before COVID took down the league.
After a long hiatus, Trestman was hired by Jim Harbaugh to be an assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
ACCOLADES:
CFL Coach of the Year 2009, ’17
NOTES:
I was interested in learning more about Marc and I thought the best way to do so was to see his offensive mind at work, so I asked him to diagram up a play with his autograph. He. Did. Not. Instead I got a note, which I thought was a bit snarky, wishing me luck with whatever I do with the autograph, or something like that. Okay dude.
A 5th round pick by the San Fransisco 49ers in 2009, Nate Davis played QB at Ball State.
Played 3 years for the Cardinals from 2006-’08 setting multiple school passing records.
Finished college career with 9,223 yards passing, completing 678 of 1,124 attempts, with 74 TDs to 22 picks.
Davis had a solid enough preseason in 2009 to make the squad as the emergency QB.
He didn’t see any playtime in his rookie season.
Spent 2010 on the ‘9ers practice squad.
Briefly saw time on the off-season roster of the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts in 2011.
It was at this point Nate became a hot prospect in the Spring indoor football system.
After two quick stints with the Kansas City Command and the Orlando Predators in 2012, Nate joined the Amarillo Venom of the LSFL.
Completed 212 of 381 attempts for 2,967 yards and 65 TDs.
The San Antonio Talons acquired his rights in the Arena Football League in 2013, but he refused to sign.
Instead Davis continued to play for the LSFL- this time with the Rio Grand Valley Sol in 2014.
He then resigned with the Amarillo Venom and played with the franchise from 2015-’19.
Signed with the Duke City Gladiators of the IFL, and spent 2020-’23 with the franchise, setting multiple passing records for the league.
In 2021, he passed for 2,901 yards and 79 TDs (10 INT), on 232 of 362 attempts.
Traded from Duke City to the San Diego Strike Force in 2023.
In 2024, Nate passed for 2,751 yards and 66 TDs for the Strike Force.
Threw a controversial TD against the Arizona Rattlers in the 2025 IFL playoffs as time expired lifting San Diego to a win.
ACCOLADES:
Ball State Cardinals Hall of Fame 2021
LSFL Offensive MVP 2012 (tie)
IFL Offensive Player of the Year 2021
NOTES:
I had been eyeballing Nate’s cards for a while. He had some really nice looking ones and after seeing the brouhaha about the Strike Force’s win over Arizona, I felt no time was better than this one! I actually had a Dress For Success Donruss ’09 patch auto coming to me, but unfortunately it got lost in the mail.
