Al Blozis
No. 32 | |
---|---|
Position: | Offensive tackle |
Personal information | |
Born: | Garfield, New Jersey, U.S. | January 5, 1919
Died: | January 31, 1945 Vosges Mountains, France † | (aged 26)
Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | William L. Dickinson (Jersey City, New Jersey) |
College: | Georgetown |
NFL draft: | 1942 / Round: 5 / Pick: 38 |
Career history | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | U.S. Army |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Rank | Second lieutenant |
Unit | 28th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Career NFL statistics | |
Player stats at NFL.com | |
Albert Charles Blozis (January 5, 1919 – January 31, 1945) was an American professional football player and track and field athlete who died fighting in World War II. He played offensive tackle for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL)
Biography
Early life
Albert Charles Blozis, known as "Al", was born on January 5, 1919, in Garfield, New Jersey to Lithuanian immigrants.[1] He attended William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he became well known for his skill in the discus throw and shot put.[2] At Georgetown University, he won AAU and NCAA indoor and outdoor shot titles three years in a row from 1940 to 1942. He had a best put of 57 feet 3⁄4 inch (17.39 meters). In 2015, Blozis was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.[3]
Professional football career
Blozis was
World War II and death
In a 1991 news story, The New York Times wrote, "Curiously, the very size that made him so intimidating on the football field kept him out of the military until late 1943, when, after repeated attempts, Blozis finally persuaded the Army to waive its size limit and accept him. It took further persuading to get from a desk job to the front lines."[1]
Blozis was inducted into the United States Army on December 9, 1943. He was first assigned to duty as a physical instructor at
Blozis was first listed as missing, but in April 1945, his death was confirmed.
Honors
The New York Giants retired the number 32 that Blozis had worn. A second Giants player, Jack Lummus, also died in World War II.[5]
In April 1946, True Comics[6] featured a story about Blozis entitled The Human Howitzer.[7]
The United States Army honored Blozis by naming an athletic center in Frankfurt, Germany after him. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
An apartment building in Jersey City, Al Blozis Hall, is named in his honor.[8]
See also
- Bob Kalsu – professional football player who enlisted in the US Army and was killed in action in Vietnam
- Pat Tillman – professional football player who enlisted in the US Army and was killed in action in Afghanistan
References
- ^ a b c Chapter 6: The Greatrest Hoya Of Them All
- ^ Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. "Two Giants Were Heroes Far From Playing Field", The New York Times, January 26, 1991. Accessed September 25, 2009. "Blozis, who was born in Garfield, New Jersey, and was a star athlete at Dickinson High School in Jersey City before going to Georgetown on a track scholarship, was regarded as the strongest player in professional football and had the physique to prove it."
- ^ "Al Blozis". USA Track & Field. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ HoyaSaxa.com: Georgetown Football Awards at www.hoyasaxa.com
- ^ "Answering the call of duty Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. May 28, 2006
- ^ True Comics, Chicago, No. 48, April 1946
- ^ The Human Howitzer
- ^ "Jones Hall, Jersey City". skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
Further reading
- Victor Mastro and Frank Alkyer, et al., "Al Blozis: Jersey City Giant," The Coffin Corner, vol. 8, no. 6 (1986).
- "Two Giants Were Heroes Far From Playing Field; Al Blozis, a Star Tackle, and Jack Lummus, a Promising Receiver, Died in Combat in World War II", New York Times, January 26, 1991.
External links
- Al Blozis at www.USATF.org
- Al Blozis at legacy.USATF.org (archived)
- "Al Blozis". Find a Grave. Retrieved December 16, 2009.