Ed Modzelewski (January 13, 1929 – February 28, 2015) 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 ...

fullback, who played in 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 ...

for 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 ...

and the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

. 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

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

Early years

Growing up in West Natrona, Pennsylvania as one of six children, he was a three-sport athlete at Har-Brack High School (now Highlands High School). He accepted a scholarship from the

, where he became a three-year starter. As a sophomore, he contributed to the team having a 9–1 record. In

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

, he was a part of an undefeated team (10-0 record), that outscored its opponents, 381–74. Maryland also secured its first berth in a major postseason

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...

, the 1952 Sugar Bowl, where it upset the first-ranked

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

, with him playing a key role after rushing for 153 yards and being named the game's outstanding player. He finished the year with 825 yards and averaging 7.3 yards a carry.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Modzelewski was selected by the

in the first round (6th overall) of the

1952 NFL Draft The 1952 National Football League Draft was held on January 17, 1952, at Hotel Statler in New York. Selections made by New York Yanks were assigned to the new Dallas Texans. This was the sixth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick de ...

. After his rookie season, he served two years in the Air Force. Upon his discharge and return in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

, he hurt his back in

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...

and was traded to the

in exchange for future

hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

Marion Motley Marion Motley (June 5, 1920 – June 27, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and linebacker for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He was a le ...

Cleveland Browns

, he registered 619 rushing yards (ninth in the league) and 6 touchdowns, playing a key role in the

repeating as NFL champions. He was a starter for two years until the arrival of future

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

Modzelewski was selected by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft, but he opted to retire instead of reporting to the team.

Personal life

After football, he chose to set up a high-end restaurant named Mo and Juniors instead. The family owned the place. Oldest brother Joe was a chef and Ed managed it. Dick worked the room during the off season when he lived in Cleveland despite playing for the New York Giants. Ed later became the president of Beef Corral Inc, which had 11 outlets in the Cleveland area. The franchise business was a huge success among the fans and the local community. Modzelewski's parents, Joe and Martha had a big family. Ed's siblings included Joe, Gene, Dick, Betty Lou, and Florence Nowicki. Ed was married to Mary Modzelewski and later, Joanne Modzelewski. Ed Modzelewski's children included
Scott Alan Modzelewski

Michael Modzelewski
Bruce Modzelewski and Nancy Giacobbe. Ed had three grandchildren, Lance Modzelewski, Anthony Giacobbe, and Jenny Modzelewski. He died of congestive heart failure in 2015 at the age of 86 at his home in West Sedona, Arizona. His brother

Dick Modzelewski Richard Blair Modzelewski (February 16, 1931 – October 19, 2018) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. He al ...

also played in the

References

External links

Ed Modzelewski, Maryland football star in the 1940s and early ’50s, dies at 86
{{DEFAULTSORT:Modzelewski, Ed 1929 births 2015 deaths People from Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania American football running backs All-American college football players Maryland Terrapins football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Cleveland Browns players