Leo Nomellini facts for kids
Nomellini c. 1953
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| No. 42, 73 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born: | June 19, 1924 Lucca, Tuscany, Italy |
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| Died: | October 17, 2000 (aged 76) Stanford, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 259 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Crane Tech (Chicago, Illinois) |
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| College: | Minnesota (1946–1949) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1950 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Leo Joseph Nomellini (born June 19, 1924 – died October 17, 2000) was an amazing Italian-American athlete. He was famous for playing both American football and professional wrestling. He played college football for the Minnesota Gophers. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the first round of the 1950 NFL draft.
Leo played 14 seasons as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He spent his entire NFL career with the 49ers. For his first three years, he also played as an offensive tackle. In 1969, he was honored by being put into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also a three-time tag team champion in wrestling.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Leo Nomellini was born in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. He moved to the United States as a baby, first to Minnesota, then to Chicago, Illinois. He went to Crane High School in Chicago.
After high school, Leo joined the Marine Corps. This was during World War II. It was in 1942, while in the Marines, that he first started playing football.
College Football Career
After the war, Leo received a special scholarship. He went to the University of Minnesota to play football. He became a two-time All-American player there.
In 1950, the San Francisco 49ers chose him as their very first NFL draft pick. While at Minnesota, Leo was also a member of the Delta Chi fraternity.
Professional Football Career
The San Francisco 49ers picked Leo Nomellini as the 11th player overall in the 1950 NFL draft. This was a big deal, as he was their first-ever draft pick in the NFL.
During his 14-year career, he played in 174 regular-season games. He started 166 of those games for the 49ers. Leo was a very versatile player. He played both offense and defense. He earned All-Pro honors for both positions.
He was chosen for the All-NFL team six times. Two of those times were for his offensive play, and four times for his defensive play. His teammate, Joe Perry, once said Leo was "as strong as three bulls." He added that Leo "would slap you on the back and knock you twenty feet!" Leo Nomellini was named to the NFL's all-time team as a defensive tackle. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1977, he also joined the College Football Hall of Fame.
Professional Wrestling Career
During the football off-season, Leo Nomellini often worked as a professional wrestler. He was known as Leo "The Lion" Nomellini. He started wrestling in Minnesota in 1950.
Throughout his wrestling career, he won 10 tag team championships. He won his first tag team title in NWA San Francisco in 1952. He teamed up with Hombre Montana to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version). He won this title three more times with different partners.
Leo also won the NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship twice. He even wrestled against Lou Thesz, a very famous wrestler.
Later, Leo moved to Minnesota to wrestle for Verne Gagne's company. There, he won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) three times. He teamed with Verne Gagne twice and Butch Levy once.
His final wrestling championship was the AWA World Tag Team Championship in 1961. He teamed with Wilbur Snyder to win this title. Leo retired from wrestling in 1965.
Later Life and Legacy
Leo Nomellini passed away on October 17, 2000. He died after having a stroke.
Leo Nomellini is remembered as one of the toughest and most versatile players in football history. His number 73 is retired by the San Francisco 49ers, meaning no other player on the team will wear it. This shows how important he was to the team.
Championships and Accomplishments
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2008
- NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club - American Wrestling Association
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- AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Wilbur Snyder
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) (3 times) - with Verne Gagne (2) and Butch Levy (1)
- NWA San Francisco
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- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (4 times) - with Hombre Montana (1), Enrique Torres (2), and Rocky Brown (1)
See also
In Spanish: Leo Nomellini para niños
- List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
