Francis Stanley "Monk" Maznicki (July 19, 1920 – December 14, 2013) 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 wi ...

halfback who played three seasons with the Chicago Bears and

Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

. He played college football at Boston College.

Personal life

Maznicki was born on July 19, 1920, in

West Warwick, Rhode Island West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census. West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...

. He played high school football for West Warwick High School's team and quickly became a stand-out football player. He played college football for Boston College and was an All-American

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

during his time there. His NFL career was interrupted by

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 opposing ...

and he served as a

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

pilot for three years before he returned to the Chicago Bears. After he retired from the NFL in 1947 he returned to West Warwick and became a long-time coach for the school's football team. He died in West Warwick on December 14, 2013, the year West Warwick won the state championship.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

After a standout career at Boston College, Maznicki was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 8th round of the

1942 NFL Draft The 1942 National Football League Draft was held on December 22, 1941, at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. Two members of the draft class have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bill Dudley, the first overall selection by the P ...

. Maznicki played halfback, defensive back, and placekicker during his time with the Bears. In 1942, Maznicki made the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

with the Bears and helped lead them to an 11–0 record. After he returned from his stint with the Navy, Maznicki returned to the Bears and won the 1946 NFL Championship Game.

Boston Yanks

In 1947, Maznicki joined the

, and after that season he retired.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Legacy

West Warwick High School's football field is named in honor of Maznicki. He was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1971. He was also inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1974.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maznicki, Frank 1920 births 2013 deaths American football halfbacks Boston College Eagles football players Boston Yanks players Chicago Bears players Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football players People from West Warwick, Rhode Island Players of American football from Rhode Island American people of Polish descent West Warwick High School alumni