Carl Nicholas Nery (June 17, 1917 – March 9, 2007) 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. Nery was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, in 1917, and attended Springdale High School. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the Duquesne Dukes football team from 1938 to 1940. In December 1939, the sports editor of the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' rated him as the most valuable player in the country, pointing to his versatility

He is almost equally at home in the backfield or in the line. . . . Anyone who can shuttle from fullback, to end, to a tackle, and then to guard, and leave nothing whatever to be desired in handling any of these varied assignments, obviously must rank high in the national picture . . . "

He was selected by the

Central Press Association The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the ...

as a third-team

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

on the

1939 College Football All-America Team The 1939 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1939. The nine selectors recognized by the N ...

. He was also selected to play on the Eastern College All-Star team in the Fresh Air Fund game in September 1940. Nery was drafted by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

with the 62nd pick in the

1940 NFL Draft The 1940 National Football League Draft was held on December 9, 1939, at the Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected George Cafego. Player selections Round one Round ...

and played for the Steelers during the 1940 and 1941 NFL seasons. He appeared in 21 games for the Steelers. He was paid $125 per game by the Steelers during the 1940 season and supplemented his income with construction jobs in the off-season. He was drafted into military service in August 1942. Nery died in 2007 in Scott, Pennsylvania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nery, Carl 1917 births 2007 deaths American football guards Duquesne Dukes football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Pennsylvania People from Tioga County, Pennsylvania