Anthony Guy Sardisco (December 5, 1932 – May 28, 2006) was an American football

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 ...

/ linebacker.

College career

Sardisco played

and linebacker for the Green Wave teams of 1952–55. He served as team captain his senior season, leading Tulane to a 5–4–1 mark that year, including an upset win over eighth-ranked Alabama and a 13–13 season-ending tie with

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

. Sardisco was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference choice at guard during his years at Tulane and was named a first team All-American by the Football Writer's Association of America in 1955. Following his senior season, he played in the Blue-Gray Game, the Senior Bowl and the Chicago College All-Star Game, and was named outstanding lineman in the Blue-Gray game after making 14 unassisted tackles. In 1956, he graduated Tulane with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Professional career

He played in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1956 NFL draft as an offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ers, where his first contract was for $7,500 with a $250 bonus. After 10 games, he was traded to the Washington Redskins, where he finished the season. His positions were linebacker and guard, and he wore number 64. His professional football career was then interrupted when he served in the U.S. Air Force. He continued to play football, making All-Air Force in 1957 and All-Service in 1957 and 1958. He returned to professional football with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League in 1959. Sardisco returned to the states to help launch the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

(AFL), and he played guard for the

Boston Patriots Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

from 1960 to 1963. He served as team captain for the inaugural Boston Patriots team. He was named All-AFL the 1961 season and played three seasons in all with the Patriots.

Coaching career

Following his playing career, Sardisco turned to coaching. He served as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater. On February 7, 1968, it was announced that Sardisco was hired to coach defensive line for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. It was the first time the Bills had five full-time assistants since 1964. Sardisco was an assistant coach at Temple under

George Makris George Makris (August 29, 1920 – October 16, 2005) was an American football coach. He served as the 18th head coach at Temple University in Philadelphia. He held that position for ten seasons, from 1960 until 1969, compiling a record of was 45 ...

in 1969. In 1970, Sardisco became the head football coach at Jesuit High School (now

Loyola College Prep Loyola College Prep is a private Catholic coeducational high school in Shreveport, Louisiana, founded by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), but now operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport. It is among the oldest functioning former Jesuit ...

) in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

. He subsequently became their athletics director and a psychology teacher in 1973, and remained as the athletics director at Jesuit High School for twelve more years.

Legacy

He was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982 and to the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He also was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. He died at age 73 from a myocardial infarction at his home in Shreveport.

References

External links