Dedicated football fans might remember Ben DiNucci. He helped the Cowboys fill the void that was created by Dak Prescott's season-ending injury in 2020.
Now 26 and hoping to put himself back on NFL teams' radar, DiNucci is trying his hand at the XFL. He beat out Steven Montez and Harrison Frost to become the starting quarterback for the Seattle Sea Dragons. He now has an extended chance to show the football world what he can do.
The Sea Dragons are led by former Saints coach Jim Haslett, and they're hoping DiNucci's NFL experience on the field and in the film room translates into XFL success.
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The Sporting News takes looks at how DiNucci got here, including a recap of his college and NFL careers.
Who is Ben DiNucci?
DiNucci was drafted 231st overall by the Cowboys in 2020 after a long and winding college career.
Seventh-round picks don't typically make starts as a rookie, Brock Purdy and Skylar Thompson notwithstanding, but DiNucci found himself under center for the Cowboys after both Prescott and Andy Dalton went down in 2020.
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Not only did DiNucci see his dream come true, he also got the opportunity to start a prime-time game against the division rival Eagles. The Cowboys led at halftime but were shut out in the second half. Dalton took over for the remainder of the season after recovering from a concussion.
DiNucci fell behind Garrett Gilbert on Dallas' depth chart but stuck around on the practice squad until he was cut just ahead of the 2022 season.
He was assigned to the Sea Dragons in November and is one of a handful of quarterbacks in the XFL with NFL game experience, along with A.J. McCarron and Brett Hundley.
MORE: Why AJ McCarron joined the Battlehawks
Where did Ben DiNucci go to college?
DiNucci spent three seasons at Pitt. He was the Panthers' leading passer in 2017 as he split time with Kenny Pickett and Max Browne. With Pickett claiming the starting job late in that season, DiNucci transferred to FCS James Madison.
The decision proved to be a wise one. He was able to show NFL scouts his talent, throwing for 3,441 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior in 2019 and taking the Dukes all the way to the FCS national championship game.
It was enough to make DiNucci the 11th of 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2020 NFL Draft and one of seven from that draft class to make a regular-season start.
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Ben DiNucci NFL stats
| Season | Team | Comp. pct. | Yds | TD | INT |
| 2020 | Cowboys | 53.5 | 219 | 0 | 0 |
DiNucci was sacked seven times in a little more than one game, so he didn't have much of a chance with a depleted Cowboys team that finished the 2020 season 6-10.
Still, he received more of an opportunity than most seventh-rounders get, and the XFL will give him and others a chance to command a pro offense for an entire season.
