Leo Nomellini
| Leo Nomellini | |
|---|---|
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Positions: Defensive Tackle , Offensive Tackle |
Jersey numbers: 42, 73 |
| born on June 19, 1924 in Lucca , Italy | |
| died on October 17, 2000 in Stanford , California | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1950 - 1963 | |
| NFL Draft : 1950 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | |
| College : University of Minnesota | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Years of play | 14th |
| Games | 174 |
| Fumble secured | 13 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Leo Joseph Nomellini (born June 19, 1924 in Lucca , Italy , † October 17, 2000 in Stanford , California , USA ), nickname : "The Lion" ( The Lion ), was an American American football player . He played, among other things, as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers .
origin
Leo Nomellini was born in Italy and immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of four. He grew up in Chicago , where he also attended high school . To support his family and earn a living, he worked in a foundry . From 1942 he did his military service with the US Marines , where he played American football for a naval team for a year. He then fought in the Pacific Ocean and took part in the fighting in Saipan and Okinawa . In 1946 he received a scholarship from the University of Minnesota .
Player career
College career
From 1946 to 1949 Leo Nomellini studied at the University of Minnesota. In the college football team , he was used as a tackle in both defense and offense . In the offense he also played on the position of a guard . Nomellini was an excellent wrestler and won the Big Ten Conference heavyweight championship. In addition to American football and wrestling, he was also active as a track and field athlete . In football, he was voted All-American in 1948 and 1949 because of his athletic performance . Nomellini was a tall player who was 1.89 m tall and stood out for his speed and aggressive style of play.
Professional career
In 1950, the San Francisco 49ers had been inducted into the NFL. Leo Nomellini was the team's first NFL draft pick and was signed in eleventh place in the first round. The team's coach was Buck Shaw , who already used Nomellini as a starter in his rookie year . In 1951, the 49ers signed YA Tittle as quarterback and Nomellini was given more time in the team's offense to protect Tittle that year. The team from San Francisco was only able to qualify for the play-offs once during Nomellini's career - in 1957 the team failed before entering the NFL championship game at the Detroit Lions with 31:27. Nomellini never won a title during his career.
After 14 playing years as a professional football player, in which he never missed a game due to an injury, he ended his career.
Wrestling career
Nomellini was a professional wrestler between NFL game rounds. He was able to win the following championships:
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (1961) - with Wilbur Snyder
- NWA Minneapolis World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis Version) (1958–1960) - with Verne Gagne (2 ×) and Butch Levy (1 ×)
- NWA San Francisco Tag Team Championship (San Francisco Version) (1952–1954, 1957) - with Hombre Montana (1 ×), Enrique Torres (2 ×) and Rocky Brown (1 ×)
After the career
Nomellini worked for a title insurance company after his career in San Francisco . He died of a stroke . His grave is not known.
Honors
Leo Nomellini played ten times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro nine times . His number was banned from the 49ers. He is a member of the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team , the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame , the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame .
Web links
- Leo Nomellini in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Short biography ( Memento from May 31, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- Obituary in the New York Times
- Leo Nomellini in the San Francisco 49ers
- Leo Nomellini in the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
- Wrestling title from Nomellini
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the 49ers 1957
- ^ Leo Nomellini in the Find a Grave database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nomellini, Leo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nomellini, Leo Joseph; The Lion (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and wrestler |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 19, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lucca , Italy |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 17, 2000 |
| Place of death | Stanford , California , USA |