Massimo Manca (born March 18, 1964) is a former
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
-born
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 ...
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
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
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. He also was a member of the
Barcelona Dragons Two American football franchises have been referred to as the Barcelona Dragons:
* Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe), active in NFL Europe between 1991 and 2003;
* Barcelona Dragons (ELF)
The Barcelona Dragons are an American football team based in ...
in the
World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally f ...
. 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 ...
at
Penn State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
.
Early years
Manca was born in the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. His family moved to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
when he was a ten year old in 1974, after his father who was a professor of English at the University of Sardinia, took a job at the
University of Reno to teach Italian as part of an exchange program.
He returned to Italy after two years, where he attended the eighth and ninth grades. He returned to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and enrolled at
Reno High School
Reno High School (RHS) is a public secondary school in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is a part of the Washoe County School District. The school's teams are known as the Reno Huskies, and the school colors are red and blue.
History
Reno High wa ...
as a sophomore. He began playing
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 ...
as a junior. He made field goals of 52, 47, and 46 yards as a senior.
College career
Manca accepted a football scholarship from
Penn State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
, to play under head coach
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent Paterno (; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as JoePa, was an American college football player, athletic director, and coach. He was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football, Penn ...
, who also had an Italian heritage. As a true freshman in 1982, he replaced the injured starter Nick Gancitano in the season opener against the
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
, making a 37-yard
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
attempt and all 4 of his
extra point
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
tries. In the second game against 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 ...
, he made all four of his field goals in a 39-31 victory. In the fourth game against the number 2 ranked
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, he had a nightmare of a performance, missing three field goals and one extra point. Gancitano, regained his starting job, contributing to the 1982 National Championship season and eventually setting a career school record with 77.6 percent field-goal accuracy (38-of-49 field goals). Manca finished the season with 11 game appearances, 5-of-9 field goals made (55.6%) and 19-of-20 extra points made (95.0%).
In 1983, he was
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
. As a sophomore in 1984, he was only used to handle the kickoffs. He made 2-of-2 extra points (100%) and missed his only field goal attempt.
As a junior in 1985, he was named the starter at
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
. He registered 21-of-26 field goals (80.8%) and 28-of-28 extra points (100%). Although the team's overall record was 11-1, seven of those contests were decided by seven points or less and Manca’s points were critical. He was 2-for-2 in a 20-18 victory against 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 ...
, 2-for-3 in a 27-25 win over
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
and 4-for-5 in a 19-17 win against the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
. He tied a school single-game record with 5 field goals in the tenth contest against 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 ...
.
As a senior in 1986, he contributed to the 1986 National Championship, although his production was down, compiling 14-of-23 field goal attempts (60.9%) and 37-of-37 extra point attempts (100%). His 206 career points, ranked second all-time in school history and also set the school record of career points for a kicker.
Professional career
Manca was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
after the
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1987, at the Marriot Marq ...
on May 4. He was waived on August 31.
After the
NFLPA
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is a labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president J. C. Tretter and executive director DeMa ...
strike was declared on the third week of the
1987 season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the
NFL
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 major ...
decided that the games would be played with replacement players. In September, he was re-signed to be a part of the Bengals replacement team. He appeared in 3 games, making 1-of-2 field goals (50.0%) and 3-of-3 extra point attempts. He was released after the strike ended in October.
On February 11, 1988, he was signed by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. He was cut on August 28.
In February 1989, Manca signed with 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 ...
, after a try-out at a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
kicking combine in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
. He would become a part of Cowboys lore during a March
mini-camp A mini-camp, also spelled minicamp, is a short camp held by National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL) teams usually in spring of each year. The camp usually only lasts 3 days, but the length varies by a day or two depending ...
, when he was required to run a series of sixteen 110-yard sprints with the rest of the team, but needed to rest after the eighth run. Then new head coach
Jimmy Johnson confronted Manca, who mentioned he suffered from asthma, although the accounts vary of the exchanged that followed, it was later reported in the media that an angry Johnson replied "Asthma, my ass. The asthma field is over there", while pointing to the parking lot at the Cowboys Valley Ranch complex. He was released on August 12.
In February 1991, Manca was selected by the
Barcelona Dragons Two American football franchises have been referred to as the Barcelona Dragons:
* Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe), active in NFL Europe between 1991 and 2003;
* Barcelona Dragons (ELF)
The Barcelona Dragons are an American football team based in ...
in the inaugural
WLAF Draft. He made 14-of-22 field goals (63.6%) and 18-of-21 extra points (85.7%). He was released on February 28, 1992.
Personal life
His brother Maurizio was a
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manca, Massimo
1964 births
Living people
People from Sassari
Italian players of American football
American football placekickers
Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Barcelona Dragons players
National Football League replacement players
Italian emigrants to the United States
Sportspeople from Sardinia