George Musso

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George Musso
Positions:
OT , G 		Jersey number (s):
16
born April 8, 1910 in Collinsville , Illinois
died on September 5, 2000 in Edwardsville , Illinois
Career information
Active : 1933 - 1944
College : Millikin University
Teams
Career statistics
Games     138
as a starter     84
Safety     1
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Career highlights and awards
Pro Football Hall of Fame

George Francis Musso (born April 8, 1910 in Collinsville , Illinois , USA ; † September 5, 2000 in Edwardsville , Illinois), nickname: "Moose", was an American football player . He played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears on the offensive line .

Youth / family

George Musso was born the son of a miner . He came from a large family and had three brothers and six sisters. His brother "Baptist Musso" died in the Second World War shortly before the end of the war near Plauen . Friends of the family had to persuade the father to give George a higher education. In high school he played football, baseball and basketball , but was also active as a track and field athlete . It was the same friends who persuaded George's father to let him go to college after leaving school . The Millikin University had a Musso scholarship offered, which accepted this.

Player career

College career

George Musso studied at Millikin University from 1929 to 1932. He played on the offensive line of the college football team , but was also active as a baseball and basketball player, and as a track and field athlete. The college football team played in the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference . In 1929 he was an opponent of Ronald Reagan , who played football at Eureka College . The Musso team won with 45: 6. In 1933, Musso played in a college all-star game in Chicago , where he caught the eye of Chicago Bears co-owner and trainer George Halas .

Professional career

Musso received two offers from professional teams after completing his studies. The coach of the New York Giants Steve Owen was interested in signing of Musso and the team offered him a salary of 75 US dollars per game on. Halas initially offered him 45 US dollars per game, but then decided to increase the offer to 90 US dollars if he was able to convince in a trial session. George Musso received 5 US dollars for the travel expenses and was initially able to convince in the trial training. Before the 1933 season, Musso moved to Chicago with a fellow student who had also received a contract with the Bears and lived together with him and Bronko Nagurski in an apartment . After his first game in the 1933 season, Halas Musso wanted to hand over to a farm team . This did not agree and made it clear that he would switch to the Green Bay Packers , who had also made him a contract offer, if he had to play for the Bears in a lower league. Halas was convinced.

The breakthrough came for Musso on the fourth day of his rookie season . Musso blocked a punt for a safety in a game against the Chicago Cardinals and thus equalized the game to 9: 9. Ultimately, the Bears left with a 12: 9 win. Two game days later, Musso was used as a starter on the position of an offensive tackle . The team around the later members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Nagurski, Bill Hewitt , William R. Lyman and Red Grange won the 1933 NFL championship. The Bears were able to defeat the New York Giants in the final with 23:21. In 1934 the Bears won all 13 games in the regular season , but had to admit defeat to the Giants with 30:13 in the final.

Before the 1935 round, Musso played with the Bears in the College All-Star Game against the best college players. One of his opponents was Gerald Ford , who couldn't prevent the College All-Stars from losing 5-0 to the Bears.

In the 1937 season, Musso moved to the position of a guard . Also this year the team of George Halas had to admit defeat in the final, this time they lost 28:21 against the Washington Redskins coached by Ray Flaherty . After the regular season in 1940, Musso was able to celebrate his second championship title. The team was made up of players like George McAfee , Bulldog Turner , Bill Osmanski , Joe Stydahar , Dan Fortmann , Ken Kavanaugh and Sid Luckman . In the NFL final of this year, they were able to defeat the Washington Redskins with a clear 73-0. The following year, the Bears were able to defend their title and won the final against the Giants with 37: 9. During the 1942 season, Halas was replaced by Hunk Anderson as coach. Again the Bears remained undefeated in the regular season, but lost in the final against the Redskins 14: 6. The Bears team remained a top team and Musso won his fourth championship title with her in 1943. Again the Redskins were the final opponents and this time the Bears prevailed with 41:21. After the game round in 1944, Musso ended his professional career.

After the career

George Musso worked after his playing career in Edwardsville as a restaurateur and deputy sheriff . He was sheriff of Madison County from 1958 to 1962 and from 1966 to 1970 . George Musso died in a nursing home in Edwardsville . He is buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Glen Carbon .

Honors

George Musso played three times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro five times . Musso is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, and the Millinkin University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Baptist Musso, brother of George
  2. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1933
  3. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1934
  4. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1937
  5. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1940
  6. ↑ Statistics NFL final 1940
  7. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1941
  8. ↑ Statistics NFL final 1941
  9. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1942
  10. ^ Statistics NFL final 1942
  11. ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1943
  12. ^ Statistics NFL final 1943
  13. ^ Tomb of George Musso in the Find a Grave database
personal data
SURNAME Musso, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Musso, George Francis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American football player, entrepreneur, and police officer
DATE OF BIRTH April 8, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Collinsville , Illinois , USA
DATE OF DEATH September 5, 2000
Place of death Edwardsville , Illinois