George Izo
No. 3, 15 | |||||||
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Position: | Barberton (Barberton, Ohio) | ||||||
College: | Notre Dame | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1960 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||
AFL draft: | 1960 / Round: 1 / Pick: territorial (by the New York Titans) | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
George William Izo (September 20, 1937 – June 10, 2022) was an American professional
Early life
Izo was born in
College career
Izo attended and played college football at the University of Notre Dame. His father, George Izo Sr., also played at Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne.[2][3] During his college career, he threw for 2,095 yards and 18 touchdowns, and led the Irish to a 20–19 upset of the University of Iowa in his next to last game.[4]
Izo earned his
Izo graduated with a degree in
Professional career
Izo played in a total of 26 games and completed 132 passes in 317 attempts for 1,791 yards, 12 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.[1]
NFL & AFL Drafts
Izo was
St. Louis Cardinals
Izo chose the Cardinals over the AFL, and signed his $15,000 contract at
Washington Redskins
On September 12, 1961, Izo was traded to the
Detroit Lions
In 1965, the
Pittsburgh Steelers
After his release from the Lions, Izo worked out for and was signed to the
Personal life
After retiring from football in 1967, Izo moved to the
Izo's first marriage was to Anita Rowland. Together, they had two children: Erik Izo and Amy Mann Fang. They eventually divorced. He then married Deborah Spivey, with whom he had one daughter (Lillianna Victoria Izo).[2] He died on June 10, 2022, at a retirement home in Alexandria, Virginia. He was 84, and suffered from Alzheimer's disease prior to his death.[2][15]
Military tours
Starting in the late 1990s after moving to California, Izo took former NFL stars to military bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam in his role as business development manager for California Sunshine milk, which had a contract with the U.S. government. He has made tours with Billy Kilmer, Ken Stabler, Paul Hornung and Earl Morrall, among others.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d "George Izo Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Schudel, Matt (June 22, 2022). "George Izo, backup QB for Washington, other NFL teams, dies at 84". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Big Question About George Izo". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "George Izo, Quarterback". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ Washington Redskins. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
- ^ "New York Jets History: Year in Review – 1959". New York Jets. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ "The AFL's first draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Sonny, Billy & the Boys: Greatest Redskins Quarterbacks". Washingtonian. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ "Clubs Trim – NFL Shuffle On". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. September 15, 1965. p. 13. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ISBN 9780786492954.
- ^ "G-r-r-r-r-r: Pietrosante Gets Gate – Chews Up Gilmer, Lions". Detroit Free Press. September 6, 1966. p. 41. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Steelers Slice Barnett, May Use George Izo". The Lincoln Star. September 8, 1966. p. 39. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Steelers Name Izo No. 2 Quarterback". The Baltimore Sun. September 24, 1966. p. B4. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "George Izo". helmethut.com. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ "George Izo Obituary – Alexandria, VA".
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference