Air Force Four
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Member Mark Militello reflects on his days as a wide receiver and the evolution of football.
Mark Militello knew he had to run fast. As the ball fell into his outstretched hands, a Clemson defender was closing in quickly.
Wrapped in a flak jacket—Militello had broken a bone a few games earlier in the 1983 season—the Duke wide receiver wanted to avoid a big hit. Swiftly, he made his escape.
The results that day didn’t play out in Duke’s favor. The Blue Devils fell 38–31 to the rival Tigers. But the offensive output showed why Militello and teammates Ben Bennett, Chris Castor and Carl Franks were known as “Air Force Four.” Guided by a young, innovate offensive coordinator named Steve Spurrier, they anchored one of the most prolific air attacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Sitting in the Club’s first-floor family lobby in December, Militello reminisced about those days.
Growing up in St Louis, Militello played baseball as a kid. He didn’t join the football team until high school. But in his senior year, Duke came calling. “I was recruited as a football player,” Militello says, “but I was probably a better baseball player.” The scholarship he was offered would allow him to play both.
Militello excelled in Durham and was named All-ACC in both baseball and football. After graduating, he dabbled with the NFL, signing a free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I lasted two exhibition games,” he recalls.
One of the things Militello remembers about the experience is how much faster the pro game was compared with college. “We were doing a drill against the linebackers, Mike Merriweather and [Super Bowl champion] Robin Cole. I thought, ‘This is going to be a real challenge.’ Today, things are much faster.”
The game is more dangerous as well. As the speed, strength and size of players have increased, hits have become harder and concussions have plagued the sport. During last month’s wild-card battle between Miami and Kansas City, the front of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ helmet shattered following a hit by Dolphins safety Deshon Elliott. He escaped without injury. Opposing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was less lucky last season, when he was almost forced to retire in just his third NFL season after multiple concussions.
Militello recalls the risks he faced.
“I was sort of the possession receiver over the middle, so I took my fair share of hits. But you just do it. You don’t think twice,” he explains. “When you’re removed from the game for a decade or two or three, you look back and it’s like, ‘Wow, that was pretty crazy to do that.’ It’s very dangerous. Would I do it again? I don’t know.”
Last September, Militello had the chance to return to Duke for their game against Clemson, a contest they won 28–7. While there, he was reunited with Spurrier. “He remembered everything—every game, every play, every score,” Militello says of his former coach, now 78. “We were talking about a Virginia game, when we beat the Cavaliers at their stadium, and I said ‘38–31.’ Coach quickly shot back, ‘No, 29–24. But good guess.’”
Image of Militello at the Club in December: Clara Garcia
They also talked about 14 Pass Millie, the play Spurrier named after Militello and kept in his playbook even when he made his historic run at the University of Florida, where his offensive philosophy came to be known as the “Fun ’n’ Gun.”
The football they played together in the 1980s has changed drastically, however, moving from a sacred amateur sport to something increasingly akin to NFL lite.
Since 2021, the transfer portal has allowed players to move from school to school after each season and play right away instead of sitting out a year. And the name, image and likeness, or NIL, concept has essentially introduced pay-to-play, with some student athletes earning millions of dollars if they sign with a particular school. The result is uncertainty, parity and a business atmosphere that is bringing the college game closer to its pro counterpart.
“Can schools afford to play the arms race?” Militello asks. “At what point will there be pushback? At what point will there be disruption at the university level? Where do you draw the line?”
One thing that is undeniable is that the system is producing amazing athletes, and innovative college offenses continue to transform the NFL as new players and coaches enter the league.
Those competing for a spot in Super Bowl LVIII reflect this. Who will win? While it’s still too early to know who will reach the conference championship games, Militello has his chips on Mahomes.
“I’ve been hoping the Chiefs will pull it together, just being a Missouri guy. Even with the Taylor Swift distractions, they’re still okay. They’ll do it, I think.”
Whoever takes home the Lombardi Trophy, Militello is sure it will be a wild ride.
“In the NFL playoffs, it’s ratcheted to a different level,” he adds. “The star performers make unbelievable plays. The great athletes, they elevate. That’s why I watch.”
Super Bowl at the Club
February 12 | 7:30am
Super Bowl at Traders’ Bar
7:30am
Words: C Bryan Jones
Top Image: Mark Militello hauls in a touchdown pass against Clemson as future Bears legend William “The Refrigerator” Perry (#66) watches from the sideline
