Will Stein shares backstory of viral photo from playing career at Louisville

Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein joined Andy Staples On3 on YouTube to reminisce on one of his funnier memories from his playing days.

Before he got into coaching, Stein was a quarterback for the University of Louisville. After a victory, a photo was snapped of Stein with a giant smile and a thumbs up, and it was eventually dubbed Sunny Will Stein within the vernacular of Cardinals faithful.

Speaking with Staples, Stein took some time to explain how that photo came to be, and why it’s lived on in the decade-plus since he’s last played for the Cardinals.

“I’ll tell you what, my mom took that photo from the stands after the game,” Stein elaborated. “This was not a cable-grab. This was not like, a tower-shot. Back then, it was like, Facebook. Twitter was just, I mean, I think I got a Twitter in college, but it wasn’t a big thing. Instagram wasn’t coming of age, but it was Facebook. I remember it was on Facebook. So yeah, my mom took that and just posted it. Some funny shot that I did after the game, after a win. Next thing you know, whoever she’s friends with on Facebook, I’m guessing grabbed it and posted it somewhere else, and then the folklore, the legend of Sunny Will Stein was created.

“And I think they still post it every once in awhile. It’s funny, there was some picture of like a young child, like an infant on top of this giant flag that was created and painted with Sunny Will Stein. So, it was hilarious. I mean, one of the great things that you’ve got to have in you life, is you’ve got to be able to have the ability to laugh at yourself, and that was definitely a funny moment, and it’s still in some Cardinals legend status, so I’ll take it.”

Alas, Will Stein has become an unforgettable name among Louisville fans due to his viral photo, and now he’s etching his reputation with the Ducks. We’ll see if he can continue cultivating an exciting offense for Oregon in 2024.

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Moreover, Stein played quarterback for the Cardinals for 2008-2012, and in that time he made a myriad of memories, including the infamous Sunny Will Stein photograph. Afterwards, he spent 2013 and 2014 on the Louisville coaching staff, before looking for other coaching opportunities.

He joined the Texas Longhorns for three seasons before spending some time at Lake Travis (HS) for two years, re-joining college football with UTSA in 2020. After three season with the Roadrunners, Stein took his talents to Oregon, hired as the Ducks offensive coordinator in 2023.

As he enters his second season with the team, he’ll be relied on to continue Oregon’s impressive offensive game while covering up Bo Nix’s departure to the NFL. We’ll see if he can get the job done, but the time is now for Will Stein, so it’s up to him to lead the Ducks’ offense into the Big Ten this season.