Canton McKinley football coach Antonio Hall on new Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels: 'He's going to rock it.'

On a sunny September Saturday in 1997, secrets of the future whispered like ripples as Josh McDaniels played a college football game on the Ohio River.

A few thousand watched the Marietta Pioneers nurse a lead against the visiting John Carroll Blue Streaks.

Several years earlier, Lee Kuberacki had explored transferring to McKinley High School, but he stayed at Canton South partly because the Bulldogs already had a quarterback — McDaniels. Now Kuberacki was Marietta's QB; McDaniels was a John Carroll receiver.

"We were ahead, with the ball," recalls Kuberacki, 44. "I ran around the corner seeing nothing but open space. It was probably going to be a touchdown to ice it. London Fletcher ran up and dove and hit the back of my ankle."

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The score stayed 12-3. John Carroll quarterback Nick Caserio ended the third quarter with two completions to receiver Dave Ziegler, then opened the fourth quarter with a 12-yard strike to McDaniels. 

That set up a touchdown. John Carroll went on to an 18-12 win.

"Caserio was a standout," said Kuberacki. "McDaniels was a good possession receiver. I knew about Josh then, and I followed him over the years."

Kuberacki went on to a fascinating Air Force career that is its own story. The others mentioned above stayed in football.

Fletcher played 256 NFL games, third all-time among linebackers behind Junior Seau (268) and Clay Matthews (278). 

Caserio is general manager of the Houston Texans. 

Ziegler is the new general manager in Las Vegas; McDaniels is the Raiders' new head coach. Their complex narrative is being analyzed around the country.

Few have better insight on McDaniels than current McKinley head coach Antonio Hall.

Hall was a school kid when he watched McDaniels' 1992-94 run as a McKinley quarterback; then he was a lineman on McKinley teams that won state titles in 1997 and '98, with Josh's dad, Thom, as head coach, and Josh's brother, Ben, at quarterback.

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Before a playing run in the Canadian Football League, Hall spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, whose head coach was Tony Dungy. In 2018, Dungy sharply criticized Josh McDaniels for backing out of a head coaching opportunity with the Colts, which is part of the complex national narrative.

McDaniels, 45, is back in a head coaching seat for the first time since getting fired by the Denver Broncos 12 games into the 2010 season. He has been on staff, mostly as offensive coordinator, for all nine of Bill Belichick's New England Super Bowls.

Hall is one of the drivers behind the Marion Motley statue planned for a spot near the Pro Football Hall of Fame. McDaniels is a significant donor.

Like everyone else in Browns country, Hall tuned into the 2020 head coach search in which the Browns strongly considered McDaniels and Robert Saleh but hired Kevin Stefanski.

"Looking back," Hall said, "Cleveland wasn't the right time or the right place. Las Vegas is, and he's going to rock it 'til the wheels fall off.

"There's nobody in the business who is going to work harder than Josh. There's nobody more tenacious. He always pushes the envelope forward. He always tries to make the people around him better. That's why he is going to be successful in Vegas.

"I've always thought if he got another shot at a head coaching job, he would flourish. Learning what he learned from his first time, applying all the knowledge he's gained since then, it's just the perfect equation for success."

Jack Rose, who coached against McDaniels at Massillon in the '90s, is betting on him now.

"He's proven he's a hell of a coach," Rose said. "I don't think they gave him enough time in Denver. I'm just glad he has this opportunity.

"The Raiders have a lot of the pieces they need to be a great team, starting with the quarterback. I was hoping David Carr would come to the Browns. I don't think that's going to happen now, with Josh there."

Rose prefers Carr to Baker Mayfield based on pulling out wins in fourth quarters.

"Look at how many times (Mayfield) has had the opportunity and hasn't won those games," Rose said. "These quarterbacks that get their teams deep in the playoffs all can score in the fourth quarter. I think Carr is really good at it. With Josh going there now, Carr staying is a done deal."

Rose views McDaniels as a coach's son who paid attention and absorbed every lesson.

"I remember sitting in the stands watching a McKinley-Masillon ninth-grade game," Rose said. "Josh came out of the huddle, went up to the line, then stepped back. He was calling an audible. He did it a few times and I remember saying, 'The kid is calling audibles ... as a freshman.' 

"His awareness of defenses really struck me. He was so far ahead ahead of the curve."

Rose's Tigers beat McDaniels' Bulldogs in an overtime shootout in the 100th game between the old rivals, in 1994. McKinley won a rematch in the playoffs two weeks later. 

"Josh took after his dad in every aspect," said Kinta Mitchell, a co-captain with McDaniels on the '94 team. "When Josh was talking in the offensive huddle, you would have thought Coach McD was talking to us.

"I'm very excited Josh is getting another opportunity. Deservedly so. I knew it was coming sooner or later."

John "Spider" Miller is an old Canton coach who disagrees with Jack Rose on Mayfield, but agrees on McDaniels.

McDaniels kicked in addition to playing quarterback at McKinley when Miller coached the Bulldogs' defensive backs.

"Josh knew how to play defensive back," Miller said. "Thom used to tell me, 'You can play him on defense, but if he gets hurt, you're fired.'

"Josh was a coach on the field. He always tried to do the best he could at anything he did.

"He's been the best offensive coordinator in the NFL, I think. Sure, I would have loved it if he had been head coach of the Browns, but I'm glad he has this opportunity."

Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP