Frank Reich Frank Michael Reich , Jr . ( born December 4 , 1961 ) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers , New York Jets , and the Detroit Lions . For a time , he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate and professional ranks . Reich and starter Jim Kelly formed one of the longest - tenured backup - and - starter tandems , playing together for nine years ( 1986 – 1994 ) . He is currently the San Diego Chargers quarterbacks coach . High school years . Reich attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon , Pennsylvania where he played baseball , football , and basketball . Reich started on the football team for his last two years in high school . He played quarterback in the Big 33 Football Classic following his senior year of high school . College career . Reich was accepted to the University of Maryland on a football scholarship and played backup to Boomer Esiason the first few years . The biggest highlight of his college career was the comeback he led against the University of Miami Hurricanes on November 10 , 1984 at the Orange Bowl Stadium . Reich came off the bench to play for Stan Gelbaugh , who had previously replaced him as the starter after Reich separated his shoulder in the fourth week of the season against Wake Forest . Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar had led the ' Canes to a 31 - 0 lead at halftime . At the start of the third quarter , Reich led the Maryland Terrapins on multiple scoring drives . Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game . With the score 34 - 28 Miami , Reich hit Greg Hill with a 68 - yard touchdown pass which deflected off the hands of Miami safety Darrell Fullington to take the lead . Maryland scored once more to cap a 42 - 9 second half , and won the game 42 - 40 , completing what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA history . This comeback from 31 points down has since been exceeded by the Michigan State University Spartans ' 41 - 38 comeback win in 2006 over the Northwestern University Wildcats during which Michigan State trailed 38 - 3 in the third quarter . Professional career . Reich was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round ( 57th overall ) in the 1985 NFL Draft . The Bills already had drafted future Hall of Famer Jim Kelly in 1983 and when Kelly signed with the Bills in 1986 , Reich was relegated to the backup role . Reich got his first start when Kelly went down with a shoulder injury in 1989 . Reich led the Bills to two straight victories . He rallied the Bills in the fourth quarter by throwing two drives down the field for a 23 - 20 victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams . This first game for Reich occurred in front of a Rich Stadium crowd of 76 , 231 and a Monday Night Football audience . Reich returned the following season , however , when Kelly was injured again late in the season . Reich provided the Bills with two key wins , clinching them the AFC East title and home field advantage throughout the playoffs . On January 3 , 1993 , Reich led the Bills on a 38 - 3 run in the second half and overtime against the Houston Oilers en route to a 41 - 38 victory , the largest comeback in NFL history . Reich would help the Bills defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round with a score of 23 - 7 before once again giving the team back to Kelly , who led them into Super Bowl XXVII , where they fell to the Dallas Cowboys 52 - 17 . Reich again replaced an injured Kelly in the first half of the Super Bowl , and led the Bills to 10 points , helping keep the game close until the fourth quarter . However , he finished the game with four interceptions . After giving the Bills one more comeback victory late in the 1993 NFL season , Reich was picked from the Bills in the 1995 expansion draft to join the Carolina Panthers to start off their first year . He threw the first touchdown pass to former Bills player Pete Metzelaars in Bank of America Stadium . The Panthers had drafted Kerry Collins as their intended franchise quarterback , but Reich was the starter for most of the first half of the season until Collins was deemed ready to take the starting job . He was signed by the New York Jets where he started for seven games in 1996 . In 1997 Reich signed with the Detroit Lions , reuniting him with his coach at Maryland , Bobby Ross . Reich appeared in 6 games in 1997 , all in relief , and 6 games in 1998 , including 2 starts . Reich retired following the 1998 NFL season . In 2008 , he served as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts . After Tony Dungy retired early in 2009 , Jim Caldwell ( former Colts quarterback coach ) replaced Dungy and Reich took his place as the new quarterbacks coach . Frank switched to Wide Receivers Coach . in 2011 but was dismissed when the entire coaching staff was released . He was the wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2012 under head coach Ken Whisenhunt , but both Reich and Whisenhunt ( along with other offensive coaches ) were dismissed on December 31 , 2012 . Life outside of football . Throughout Reich ' s NFL career , he remained a devout Christian . He is a motivational speaker utilizing the great comebacks and the importance of God as a main keynote of his speeches . He credits the song " In Christ Alone " by Michael English as his inspiration . He belongs to the Premier Speakers Bureau where his main topics are communication and teamwork . Reich attended the Charlotte Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary , Charlotte , North Carolina , where he earned a Master of Divinity degree . He served as president of RTS ' Charlotte campus from 2003 - 2006 . Reich was also a pastor at Ballantyne Presbyterian until he moved to Indianapolis . While living in Buffalo , New York in the early 90s , Reich met a man named Jim Case whom Reich hired to build his deck and refinish his basement . A friendship between Reich and Case formed and they started a company together called Pro Display Inc . which specialized in sports memorabilia . Their main item was a football stand inspired by Frank ' s dad who created a wooden stand shaped like a football field where the goal posts held up the football . Frank Reich had co - founded a retail business in the 90s that he started with friend Boomer Esiason and two others . They were part owners of Jim and Chuck ' s Boot Shop . The store expanded over the New England area with fifteen stores where they still remain today . On the January 30 , 2010 episode of " Saturday Night Live " , Jon Hamm portrayed Reich in a Gametime with Randy and Greg skit . Personal . Reich ' s father , Frank , played for Penn State from 1953 – 1955 as a center and linebacker . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 14th round of the 1956 NFL Draft , but did not play in the National Football League . Frank Reich Sr . was a Technology Education Teacher and football coach at Lebanon High School and retired in 1992 .