Jordan Lynch

Jordan Lynch, born October 3, 1990, in Chicago, rose from the city’s South Side to become one of the most decorated college quarterbacks of his era and a championship-winning coach at his alma mater. He attended Mount Carmel High School, where he played for longtime coach Frank Lenti, before continuing to Northern Illinois in 2009.

Lynch took over as NIU’s starting quarterback in 2012, breaking the NCAA single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 1,815 yards, then broke his own record in 2013 with 1,920. A two-time MAC MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, he finished third in Heisman voting in 2013, was named first-team All-American, and received the Chic Harley Award. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in January 2026.

Undrafted in 2014, Lynch signed with the Chicago Bears before joining the Edmonton Eskimos, where he scored the game-winning touchdown in the 2015 Grey Cup. He retired in 2017 and returned to Mount Carmel as head coach, succeeding Lenti. Lynch has since led the Caravan to five IHSA state championships, including four straight from 2022 to 2025.