John Joseph Paluck (May 23, 1935 – April 22, 2003) 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 ...

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

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

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

. He went to one

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 ...

during his nine-year career. Paluck 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 ...

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 was drafted in the second round of the 1956 NFL Draft. A number 2 draft pick, Paluck was lost to the military for the 1957 and 1958 seasons. He rejoined the Redskins for the 1959 season to become one of the NFL's top defensive performers. His rugged style of play earned him the nickname of "Gentle John." He scored the only touchdown of his career as a rookie, returning a fumble 76 yards against the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium.

References

1935 births 2003 deaths People from Swoyersville, Pennsylvania American football defensive ends Players of American football from Pennsylvania Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Pittsburgh Panthers football players Washington Redskins players American people of Lithuanian descent {{defensive-lineman-1930s-stub