For the Raiolas, Nebraska football is family business.
Heading into his sophomore year as the Huskers’ starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola is looking to build on that legacy in Lincoln.
Dylan’s father, Dominic Raiola, was a two-year starter at center for the Huskers. He spent four seasons in Lincoln, redshirting in 1997 before playing three seasons and entering the NFL Draft. He set the Nebraska record for most pancake blocks with 145 his junior season and finished his career with 371 of them. Named a consensus All-American his final season with the program, Raiola won the inaugural Rimington Award in 2000. The award, named for another former Nebraska Husker lineman in Dave Rimington, is given to the best center in college football each year.
The Detroit, Lions selected Raiola in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played 14 seasons, all with the Lions, and started 203 of his 219 career games before retiring in 2014. He returned to the Lions as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the 2016-17 season.
Growing up around his father along with other NFL players, Raiola had front row seats to watch and learn the game up close.
“To be around that kind of atmosphere, and that level of football play, I didn’t understand it back then, but now to look back, I’m very grateful I have that experience,” Raiola told Hail Varsity. “To be around great football players like Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson and a bunch more, it was just a cool lifestyle to grow up in, of going to games on Sunday, and then kind of just celebrating.”
Not only does Raiola have ties to Nebraska from his father, but his uncle Donovan Raiola is currently the offensive line coach for the Huskers. He joined the staff in 2022 and was the only assistant from Scott Frost’s staff that Matt Rhule retained.
With both Raiolas being on the offence, they get to see one another a lot.
“Having an uncle (here) is special,” Raiola said “He’s always there to remind me why I’m here, and he’s right there for me. Even though all the coaches care for me tremendously, that’s blood, a family relationship that you can’t substitute. So it’s like having my dad here honestly, just because they’re similar and they kind of say the same things. So it’s just pretty cool.”
Donovan said that he knew Dylan was going to be special at a young age.
“When he was 2 years old,” the coach said. “Sunday night football was on. He could hardly say mom and dad, and the Patriots are playing. He’s sitting there, jumping around the couch, and he looks up, he’s like ‘Tom Brady.’ I was like, ‘What?’”
Although Raiola is Nebraska’s signal-caller now, he originally played in the trenches like his dad and uncle. He was a defensive end in junior high before transitioning positions.
“Freshman year, that’s kind of really when I started playing quarterback as well,” Raiola said. “Coach (Jon) Kitna, who use to play with my dad, came and he basically saw me throw a football and was like, ‘Do you want to play quarterback?’ I was like, ‘I never thought about it, but I would love to try.’ He was like, ‘Well, you’re going to be a quarterback, and don’t let anybody tell you different.’ So from there on it was like, all right, I’m all in on this quarterback life, and I’m very, very excited to keep going with it.”
Raiola first committed to Ohio State before flipping his commitment to Georgia, then ultimately choosing Nebraska in December of 2023. With the Huskers not making a bowl game since 2016 and not winning one since 2015, Raiola said he wanted to help change the program.
“For me, it was like it’s going to be a step, it’s going to be hard, but ultimately at the end of the day, you get to do something that you want to do, and what you really love,” Raiola said. “When it came down to it, this was the only place I felt that I could go to a place, earn my stripes and do something special that really honestly no player in college football could do, which is help, along with my teammates and Coach Rhule, bring back a program to national championship-level status.”
According to Raiola, his first game suiting up for Nebraska last season was a very emotional one. However, his family was there to support him throughout the entire process and has helped him throughout his journey.
“When I kind of turn the corner and walk up the stairs, and I see my family right there every single game, it just calms me down,” Raiola said. “Because I know that I’m not fighting, really, this nation, because it’s Nebraska versus everybody, and I just have the support from them to kind of go out there and just be a kid and play a game that I’ve loved playing.”
To learn more about Raiola’s journey and his mindset heading into his sophomore season, check out his full interview with Avarie Howard.
