Louis William Daddio (April 26, 1916 – July 5, 1989) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player, coach, and scout. He was an All-American at end at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

and played with the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) from 1941 to 1942 and the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

of the

All-America Football Conference The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the ...

(AAFC) in 1946. Daddio served as the head football coach at Allegheny College from 1947 to 1951, compiling a record of 14–18–5. He was later an assistant football coach at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

and the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

and a personnel director for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. From 1969 until his retirement in 1987, he worked as a scout for the3

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

Playing career and military service

Daddio was an All-State performer at Meadville High School in

Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The city is within of Erie and within of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 censu ...

. After a successful high school career, he moved to the

to play under coach Jock Sutherland. Daddio led the Panthers in receiving during the 1936 season. In each of his final two seasons at Pitt, 1937 and 1938, he was recognized as an All-American. During the

1937 Rose Bowl The 1937 Rose Bowl, was the 23rd edition of the bowl game, between the independent Pittsburgh Panthers of western Pennsylvania and the Washington Huskies of Seattle, the champions of the Pacific Coast Conference. The game was played at the Rose ...

against the

Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac- ...

, Daddio contributed significantly in the run game and returned an interception 71 yards in the fourth quarter to secure a victory for the Panthers. In 1953, Daddio retroactively received the Rose Bowl Player of the Game Award for the 1937 contest in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

. In 1992, Daddio was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Daddio was selected by the

in the fifth round of the

1939 NFL Draft The 1939 National Football League Draft was held on December 9, 1938, at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected center Ki Aldrich. Player selections Round one ...

, rejoining former Pitt teammate Marshall "Biggie" Goldberg. He played two seasons with the Cardinals. His versatile play earned him second-team All-Pro honors in 1942. Daddio spent over two years with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a gunnery officer. For his service overseas, he was honored with the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

. Daddio's final of year of professional football came in 1946 as a player-coach with the

of the

. He converted on all three extra points that he attempted that season.

Coaching and scouting career

Daddio was the head football coach at Allegheny College in

. He held that position for five seasons, from 1947 until 1951. His coaching record at Allegheny was 14–18–5. Following his stint at Allegheny, Daddio took a position under

Stu Holcomb Stuart K. Holcomb (September 11, 1910 – January 11, 1977) was an American football and basketball coach best known for serving as head football coach for Miami University (1942–1943) and Purdue University (1947–1955). Before coaching, Holcomb ...

and continued there under

Jack Mollenkopf Kenneth Webster "Jack" Mollenkopf (November 24, 1903 – December 4, 1975) was the head football coach at Purdue University from 1956 until 1969. Mollenkopf was also an assistant coach at Purdue from 1947 to 1955 under Stu Holcomb. Mollenkopf wa ...

until 1958. In 1969, Daddio became a scout with the

Death

Daddio died of a heart attack at the age of 73 on July 5, 1989 at St. Clair Memorial Hospital in

Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania Mt. Lebanon is a township with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 34,075 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Pittsburgh. Established in 1912 as Mount Lebanon, the township was a farming commu ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Daddio, Bill 1916 births 1989 deaths American football ends Allegheny Gators football coaches Buffalo Bisons (AAFC) players Chicago Cardinals coaches Chicago Cardinals players Denver Broncos scouts Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches Philadelphia Eagles executives Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches Pittsburgh Panthers football players Purdue Boilermakers football coaches United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers People from Meadville, Pennsylvania Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania