Quince Orchard Grad Signs With Oakland Raiders

Quince Orchard Football Coach Dave Mencarini joked on his Facebook page that it will be hard for him to wear Oakland Raiders' gear.

The iconic silver and black colors of the NFL team remind him of those of a nearby rival in Northwest High School. But, then the QO coach quickly added that he "could not be happier for him."

"Him" referring to Quince Orchard alumnus Bani Gbadyu, who following a 132-day player lockout, signed with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday morning — the first day of NFL free agency.

Gbadyu, a 2011 undrafted free agent from Penn State, graduated from the North Potomac school in 2006 as one of the program's most celebrated athletes in QO history and became just the second Cougar to be named to The Washington Post's All-Metrpolitan team (Ray Gray being the other following the team's 1991 state title). He also helped put the QO program back on the map. The team won its second state title two years after Gbadyu graduated.

While Mencarini acknowledges the impact Gbadyu had at QO and what this means to the program itself, he was quick to point out that this is more about Gbadyu.

"This is more about him than it is about me or our program," Mencarini said. "What happened to him Tuesday is unbelievable for him. And no matter what happens from here, it's something that no one will be able to take away from him. It does say a lot about how far our program has come and it’s a pretty impressive evolution of our program, but this is all about Bani right now."

When Gbadyu landed a spot at Penn State upon leaving QO, he became the first player in school history to play at a BCS conference school. Now, Gbadyu becomes the first athlete in school history to sign with an NFL team.

And while the chances of Gbadyu making the Raiders' 53-man roster this fall are not certain, it is a challenge Mencarini is sure his former player will embrace.

"He’ll embrace it. Who knows where the journey is going to take him," said Mencarini, who also added that he saw Gbadyu just last week and that he was looking for jobs in Rockville. "But, just to sign [with an NFL team] says a lot about the potential teams see in him. He’s going to embrace whatever role he can play."

He has overcome challenges before. When he was a child, Gbadyu and his father and older brother fled Liberia in the midst of a civil war and came to the United States looking for a better opportunity.  Gbadyu eventually found that in football. He excelled during his time at QO and while it took him a little while to adjust to the collegiate game, he eventually left his mark at Penn State.

He helped the Nittany Lions appear in four straight bowl games, including the 2009 Rose Bowl after the team won the 2008 Big Ten championship. His senior year, he started 10 games and had 50 tackles, a career-high.

However, it is more Gbadyu's physical prowess that had made him an interesting target for NFL teams, Mencarini said.

"From a physical standpoint, there’s no doubt he’s always had gifts," he said. "Sometimes he didn't always get a chance to prove that on the field. But, still, a very small percentage of college football players get this opportunity. This is a testament to what he’s capable of."