Leo Nomellini
Tackle | |||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Born: | Lucca, Tuscany, Italy | June 19, 1924||||||||||||
Died: | October 17, 2000 Stanford, California, U.S. | (aged 76)||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 259 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Crane (IL) | ||||||||||||
College: | Minnesota | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1950 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||||
Leo Joseph Nomellini (June 19, 1924 – October 17, 2000) was an Italian-American professional
Nomellini played college football for the Minnesota Gophers. He was a three-time tag team champion in wrestling.
Early life
Nomellini was born at
College career
After the war, he received a football scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he became a two-time All-American and the 49ers' first NFL draft choice in 1950.[1] While at Minnesota, Nomellini was a member of Delta Chi fraternity.[2]
Professional career
Nomellini was selected in the 1st round (11th overall) of the 1950 NFL draft, the first draft pick in the NFL by the San Francisco 49ers. As a professional, he appeared in 174 regular-season games and started 166 for his 14-year career.
While with the 49ers, he played both
Professional wrestling
NWA San Francisco
During the off-season Nomellini often wrestled professionally as Leo "The Lion" Nomellini debuting in Minnesota in 1950. For his career, he was a 10-time tag team champion. He won his first tag team championship in
While working for the
NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club/American Wrestling Association
Nomellini would leave NWA San Francisco to head to Minnesota to work for Verne Gagne and the NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club.
On May 15, 1958, Nomellini, teaming with
Nomellini won his final professional wrestling championship on May 23, 1961, when he and Wilbur Snyder defeated Gene Kiniski and Hard Boiled Haggerty for the AWA World Tag Team Championship.
Death
Nomellini died on October 17, 2000, after suffering a stroke.[4]
Championships and accomplishments
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2008[5]
- NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club - American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Wilbur Snyder
- 3 times) - with Verne Gagne (2) and Butch Levy(1)
- 4 times) - with Hombre Montana (1), Enrique Torres(2), and Rocky Brown (1)
See also
References
- ^ "Leo Nomellini". Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ 1949 Minnesota Gopher yearbook, p.388, accessed 12 Aug 2020.
- ISBN 978-0760344736. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ Sullivan, Pat (October 18, 2000). "Ex-49er Leo 'Lion' Nomellini Dies at 76 / Hall of Famer suffered stroke 3 weeks ago". SFGate.com. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the originalon December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Member profile
- New York Times Obituary
- Leo Nomellini's profile at Cagematch.net
- Leo Nomellini at the College Football Hall of Fame