Joe Marconi
 Marconi from The 1955 Monticola | |||||||||||||||
| No. 34 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Fullback, Punter | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | February 6, 1934 Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | August 23, 1992 (aged 58) Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Fredericktown (PA) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | West Virginia | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1956: 1st round, 6th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Joseph George Marconi (February 6, 1934 – August 23, 1992) was an American professional football fullback who played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).
Biography
[edit]Marconi was born in the Pittsburgh area city of Frederickton, Pennsylvania on February 6, 1934. He played football in high school and was offered an athletic scholarship at the University of Maryland, but he didn't like the school and found himself at West Virginia University.
He was first used on defense, but was found to be too productive on offense in the running game and was part of the backfield. As a running back, he piled up 998 career yards on 181 carries for an impressive 5.5 average and 18 touchdowns.
Marconi helped West Virginia to a 31–7 record during his four-year tenure. He was selected to play in the College Football All-Star Game and the Blue–Gray Football Classic after his senior season and he ended up being the Los Angeles Rams first pick in the 1956 draft. He accumulated impressive yardage as a Ram with 1,769 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was traded to the Bears before the 1962 season.
On January 1, 1964, Marconi was injured in a New Year's Day brawl at a bowling alley in Willowbrook, Illinois that resulted in the death of former Illinois linebacker Tony Parrilli,[1] who was accidentally shot by the Willowbrook police chief. The bowling alley was owned by Bears tight end Mike Ditka.[2][3]
He played five years with the Bears organization and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1964. In 1966, he retired from football to become a sales representative in the steel business.
Death
[edit]Marconi died in Downers Grove, Illinois, his home.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tony Parrilli". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ Rubenstein, Joe. "Ex-NFL Star Killed". 1960s Timeline. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "Ex-Illinois Football Player Slain In Scuffle at New Year's Party; Tony Panilli Is Accidentally Shot by Police Attempting to Break Up the Fight". The New York Times. January 2, 1964. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "Joe Marconi, Football Player, 59". The New York Times. August 25, 1992. Retrieved July 27, 2009.