Paul Salata
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| NFL draft: | 1951 / Round: 10 / Pick: 118 | ||||||
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Paul Thomas Salata (October 17, 1926 – October 16, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).
Biography
Paul Salata was born to a Serbian-born father and second generation Serbian-American mother. After his
1951 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He scored the 49ers final touchdown in the All-American Football Conference, as well as the team's first TD in the NFL.[2] He also played three final seasons in Canada including in 1952 with the Calgary Stampeders, where he was an all-star, and in 1953 with the Ottawa Rough Riders
.
In later years, Salata became known for his creation in 1976 of the
NFL Draft, awarded annually to the last overall pick in the year's draft.[3] After retiring from football, he joined his family's Southern California construction business.[1] He has also acted in a number of Hollywood movies.[4] He played Tony Minelli in Angels in the Outfield (1951) and appeared, uncredited, in the 1953 film Stalag 17
as a prisoner.
Salata died on October 16, 2021, one day before his 95th birthday.[3] He was buried at Pacific View Memorial Park.[5]
References
- ^ a b Belson, Ken (April 30, 2017). "N.F.L. Draft's 'Irrelevants'? Says Who?". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ISBN 978-1613210451.
- ^ a b Beth Harris, "Paul Salata, Creator of Mr. Irrelevant Award, Dies at 94," Los Angeles Times, Oct. 16, 2021.
- ^ "Paul Salata". IMDb. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Paul T. Salata
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