Nick Lyon to reunite with former coach at Northern Colorado

Brandon Boles

August 27, 2020 @ 10:22 PM

When Ed McCaffrey was named the 16th head football coach at the University of Northern Colorado back in December, the announcement alone put the program on the map with the local media. McCaffrey, a former NFL wide receiver who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, is a namesake for most football fans who grow up bleeding the orange and blue in Colorado. The McCaffrey name is also big in football today with his four sons, Max, Christian, Dylan and Luke, all having success at the high school, college and the professional game. Before he was named the head coach at Northern Colorado, McCaffrey was the head coach at Valor Christian High School, one of the most prestigious football programs in the state. He compiled a 24-2 record and won the Class 5A state championship in 2018. His name and football experience have many people believing that some big named recruits may choose to stay in-state to play for the FCS program in Greeley. One of those recruits he has landed for the Class of 2021 is a player he used to coached at Valor Christian. , an offensive and defensive lineman for the Eagles, announced his plans to commit to Northern Colorado last week on social media.

After a lot of prayer and discussion with my family and coaches, I am super excited to commit to The University of Northern Colorado! @GoValorFootball @donnieyantis pic.x.com/Ygf8ImbZjj
— Nicholas Lyon (@NicholasLyon62) August 19, 2020

“I wanted to make a decision before the school year started,” Lyon said. “I didn’t want to have to deal with recruiting this year. I wanted to be able to focus on my academics and football… It’s a relief to be able to make it official.” Having played for McCaffrey, Lyon feels his former coach will be an excellent fit at the next level and is excited to be playing for him again in the future. “I’m super excited about it,” Lyon said. “That’s one of the big reasons why I wanted to go there. I’ve worked with those coaches for a really long time, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be able to work with them longer. I’ve worked with them for three years of my life. I have a great relationship with them.” Lyon is a veteran starter on the Valor Christian offensive line and has built up his strength over the years. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman recently took part in a padded camp with his Valor Christian teammates and flashed great footwork and power to finish blocks in both the run and pass game from his right tackle position. At the next level, Lyon is expected to play on defense in the interior as a defensive tackle. Playing defense was something new he did last season when the Valor Christian coaches were looking to improve its defense early in the regular season. “During the second game of the year, we needed to figure something out on defense, and I said I would try it out,” Lyon said. “I have never played d-line before but I thought I would try it out.” The move worked, and Lyon transitioned well on the defensive side. While he was continuing to learn and grow as a defensive player, he finished the 2019 season with 17 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and one pass breakup and fumble recovery. His ability to plug interior gaps and prevent offensive linemen from getting to the second level allowed the linebackers and safeties to step up and make multiple plays. “The coaches gave me a shot, and I really succeeded in that,” Lyon said. “I feel like I have a lot of potential and a lot of good things going for me. That was my first year playing defense. (My coaches) were excited about my performance and saw how much better I got after every game on the d-line. It was exciting for me personally to see improvement throughout the year.” With his commitment secured, Lyon is now focused on his academics and working to continue improving on both sides of the ball. And from the work he and his teammates have done so far, he feels that Valor Christian will once again be in play to win a state championship in Class 5A in the spring. “If we keep working and keep buying in, I think we have the potential to win state,” Lyon said. “We’re working four or five days a week. We’re putting the time and effort in.”