Tony Curcillo
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2020) |
Born: | Long Branch, New Jersey | May 27, 1931
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Died: | December 8, 2020 Riverside, California | (aged 89)
Career information | |
CFL status | American |
Position(s) | QB/LB/DB/HB/C |
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
College | Ohio State |
NFL draft | 1953 / Round: 6 / Pick: 63 |
Drafted by | Chicago Cardinals |
Career history | |
As player | |
1953 | Chicago Cardinals |
1956 | Chicago Cardinals |
1956–1958 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
CFL East All-Star | 1957, 1958 |
Anthony Curcillo Jr. (May 27, 1931 – December 8, 2020) was a Grey Cup champion football player in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.
Career[]
Curcillo was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team in 1950 and 1951 and played linebacker, tailback, and center in 1952. Although recruited by Wes Fesler, he would become Woody Hayes' first starting quarterback at Ohio State when Hayes was hired in 1951. Curcillo's running back from during the 1950 and 1951 seasons was Vic Janowicz, the winner of the 1950 Heisman Trophy and Curcillo's former teammate at Elyria High School.
Curcillo was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 6th round of the 1953 NFL Draft. He could not beat out fellow rookies Jim Root and Ray Nagel for playing time at quarterback, so Curcillo played the 1953 season at defensive back and halfback.
After the 1953 season, Curcillo joined the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Carson, where he played quarterback for the base football team in 1954 and 1955.
Curcillo rejoined the Cardinals in 1956, but did not receive any playing time behind Lamar McHan. Midway through the season he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, a forerunner of the present day Canadian Football League. He replaced the controversial Ronnie Knox and on November 17, 1956, he passed for 518 yards in a playoff game against the Montreal Alouettes, still a CFL playoff record. When Bernie Faloney joined the Tiger-Cats in 1957, Curcillo became an all-star linebacker while also serving as the team's backup quarterback.
He died of complications from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in California.[1]
References[]
- 1931 births
- 2020 deaths
- American football quarterbacks
- American people of Italian descent
- Chicago Cardinals players
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
- Ohio State Buckeyes football players
- People from Elyria, Ohio
- Players of American football from New Jersey
- Military personnel from New Jersey
- United States Army personnel
- Sportspeople from Long Branch, New Jersey
- Canadian football quarterbacks
- Sportspeople from Monmouth County, New Jersey