Payton Veraldi joined the staff in the summer of 2021 as defensive quality control. He spent the 2020-21 season at Tiffin University as a graduate assistant, working with the defense and serving as the cornerbacks coach. The Dragons were 6-0 during the spring season.
Veraldi was a quarterback and captain at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky from 2015-2020, where he helped lead the Blue Raiders to two Mid-South Conference Championships (2017, 2019). Veraldi earned NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete Honors from 2017-2020. He was selected by The Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the All-Commonwealth Team. During his time at LWC, he served as the Vice-Chair of NAIA Student-Athletes along with being Student Body Vice President. Veraldi earned his bachelor’s degree in education in 2020.
A native of Dalton, Georgia, he played football at Dalton High School. During his senior season, he was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State Team, was named Region 7-AAAAA Player of the Year, and Dalton Daily Citizen Player of Year.
