Former James Madison and NFL quarterback Ben DiNucci, currently working in broadcasting with CBS Sports, heaped praise on Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti, who coached him when the two were still with the Dukes.
“He’s come a long way from calling me a slappy first day of winter workouts in 2019 at JMU,” DiNucci wrote on Twitter. “I owe this guy all the success I’ve had beyond college. Totally changed the way I played and thought about the quarterback position. 1 of 1 at the coaching position.”
DiNucci’s college career began at Pitt, located in Cignetti’s hometown of Pittsburgh, before he transferred to JMU in 2018. Cignetti took the JMU job in 2019, when DiNucci already had one season of starting experience with the Dukes. DiNucci went from passing for 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a junior to 29 touchdowns and six interceptions under Cignetti as a senior, ultimately leading the Dukes to the FCS Championship Game.
Following the conclusion of his college career, DiNucci was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He’d later sign with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
