Marshall University Athletics
Quartet of Speakers, Coach Auction Highlight 2026 QB Club Reverse Raffle
4/20/2026 9:12:00 AM | Football
John Wade, Chris Massey, Nate Poole and Jason Starkey to serve as keynote speakers for Aug. 15 event; bids for coaches taken through May 1
2026 Reverse Raffle - Coach Auction Link
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Four Marshall legends – John Wade, Chris Massey, Nate Poole and Jason Starkey – will serve as the keynote speakers for the 2026 Quarterback Club Reverse Raffle, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 15 at Marshall Health Network Arena.
All four Marshall greats made history for Marshall Football before going on to NFL careers, making for an entertaining night of stories as the Quarterback Club celebrates the signature event on its annual schedule while raising funds and excitement for Marshall Football ahead of the 2026 season.
One new aspect for the 2026 Quarterback Club Reverse Raffle is a Coach Auction that is currently live from April 17 to May 1 for all 2026 Marshall Coaches.
Those bidding on a table with coaches will be purchasing a table to the reverse raffle event. Bid winners will receive 10 raffle entries and eight tickets to the event for their table with the other two tickets being the coach and their guest.
Individuals wishing to bid on coaches can do so by clicking HERE. Current bids for the tables are listed and winners will be notified after bidding closes on May 1.
Below are notes on each speaker for the 2026 Quarterback Club Reverse Raffle:
John Wade – OL, 1993-97
u John Wade will go down as one of the top offensive linemen to ever come through Marshall's program, serving as the leader of the offensive front for two of the Herd's top offenses in history – the 1996 NCAA I-AA Championship team and the 1997 MAC Championship team. Wade was a First-Team all-conference selection in each of those years as he helped block for 1,000-yard rushers Chris Parker, Erik Thomas and Doug Chapman. Following his time with the Herd, Wade was selected in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguard and went on to an 11-year NFL career with the Jaguars (1998-2002), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2003-07) and the Oakland Raiders (2008). During his NFL career, he made 110 starts, including six playoff starts. He was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
Chris Massey – LS, 1998-2001
u The Chesapeake, W.Va., native began his Marshall career as a linebacker, but then became a longsnapper who never had a bad snap in over 500 attempts while being part of one of the most memory-filled four-year runs in Marshall history. Massey's freshman year in 1998 featured a Mid-American Conference Championship the Herd's first bowl win in history – a 48-29 win over Louisville in the Motor City Bowl – and his sophomore year was the greatest in Herd history with the team finishing No. 10 in the final AP poll after a 13-0 season highlighted by wins at Clemson and over No. 25 BYU in the Motor City Bowl. In 2000, Massey won his third straight MAC title and Motor City Bowl win as the Herd defeated Cincinnati, 25-14, and his final game with the Herd was the 'Miracle in Mobile' – Marshall's 64-61 double-overtime win over East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl. Massey was drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams where he played nine seasons before wrapping up his career in Chicago in 2011 – a career that saw him made 1,110 career snaps with only one miscue. He was inducted into the Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
Nate Poole – WR, 1997-2000
u Nate Poole was a key offensive piece of Marshall's prolific scoring threat on the late 1990s teams, serving as a wide receiver for Herd quarterback greats Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. During his career with Marshall, Poole was a three-time All-Mid-American Conference honoree and has the distinction of being a four-time MAC Champion as well. He was part of the undefeated 1999 Marshall team that went 13-0 and finished No. 10 in the Final AP poll – the highest final ranking ever. During that season with Pennington at quarterback, Poole finished with 71 catches for 1,122 yards and nine touchdowns. He followed that up in 2000 when he and Leftwich connected 70 times for 818 yards and four more touchdowns. Poole signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent and spent four seasons with the Cardinals from 2002-05 before playing for New Orleans in 2005 and 2006. In the 2003 season finale with the Cardinals, Poole's 28-yard touchdown catch with no time remaining helped Arizona defeat the Minnesota Vikings – who featured former receiver teammate Randy Moss. The loss knocked Minnesota out of playoff contention. Following his career, Poole has since served as a coach at the high school and collegiate levels, most recently serving as North Carolina A&T's wide receivers coach from 2020-26.
Jason Starkey – OL, 1996-99
u The Barboursville, W.Va., native and Cabell Midland graduate joined Wade as one of the most impactful offensive linemen in Herd history, serving as the center and leader of the offensive line during some of the most prolific offensive seasons that Marshall has ever seen. Starkey was a part of two undefeated seasons while at Marshall – the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Team and the 1999 Mid-American Conference and Motor City Bowl Champions who went 13-0 and finished at No. 10 in the Final AP Poll. During that season, Starkey was named a First-Team All-MAC selection and later signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent where he spent four NFL seasons from 2000-03.
For more information about the 2026 Quarterback Club Reverse Raffle, contact Mark George at (304) 633-0271 or Taylor Hickman Kinker at hickman46@marshall.edu.
The 2026 Quarterback Club Reverse Raffle is presented by Marshall Football in conjunction with Ohio Valley Bank.
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