Talley played high school football and ran track at J.F. Kennedy in Bloomington, MN. He played college football at Golden Valley Lutheran College for two years, under Dave Skrien and transferred to Pacific Lutheran University to play under College Hall of Fame member and head coach Frosty Westering and then obtained his master's degree from Miami University OH as a graduate assistant under Tim Rose. He studied under Dr. Colleen Hacker, mental performance coach and professor at PLU as well as Dr. Robin Vealey, professor, at Miami.