- John McNally
NFL PlayerCoach
Name=John McNally
ImageWidth=200
DateOfBirth=November 27 ,1903
Birthplace=New Richmond, Wisconsin ,United States
DateOfDeath=November 28 ,1985
Position= HalfbackHead Coach
College=St Johns University
DatabaseFootballCoach=MCNALJOH01
DatabaseFootball=MCNALJOH01
Record=6-19-0
Awards=
Honors=NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
Records=
Retired #s=
player=yes
years=1925-1926
1926-1927
1928
1929-1933
1934
1935-1936
1937-1938
teams=Milwaukee Badgers Duluth Eskimos Pottsville Maroons Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Pirates
coach=yes
coachingyears=1937-1939
coachingteams=Pittsburgh Pirates
HOF=149
HOFYear=1963John Victor McNally (
November 27 ,1903 –November 28 ,1985 ) was anAmerican football player, inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame .Early life
A native of
New Richmond, Wisconsin McNally was an intelligent and unathletic youth who graduated high school at 14. He blossomed into an athlete while at Saint John's University inCollegeville, Minnesota , where he became the captain of the basketball team and a letterman in track, baseball, and football, all in his junior year."Johnny Blood"
With one year of college eligibility left, McNally and a friend decided to join a professional football team. While passing by a movie theater, McNally saw the title of the film
Blood and Sand on the marquee. He turned to his friend and said, "That's it. You be Sand. I'll be Blood."Using the alias "Johnny Blood" — an alias that became his nickname — McNally was able to play professional football without losing his college eligibility.
Career highlights
McNally played in the
National Football League for 14 seasons, with five different teams. In his prime, McNally was 6'1" and 188 lbs., known for his speed, agility, and pass-catching ability. He got his professional start in 1925 with theMilwaukee Badgers , where he became famous as the "Vagabond Halfback" for his off-the-field behavior and spontaneity. In 1926 and 1927 he played for theDuluth Eskimos , and in 1928 he played with thePottsville Maroons .Between 1929 and 1936 he played with the
Green Bay Packers , with whom he won four championships. In 1937, he moved on to thePittsburgh Steelers (then called the Pirates), where on his first play he ran back a kick 92 yards for a touchdown. He ended his NFL career in 1939 as the head coach of the Pirates. From 1950-1952, he coached football at Saint John's where he amassed 13-9 record during his three year stint.Later in life
McNally's spontaneous and bizarre behavior didn't stop with his football career. Upon one occasion, out of boredom, he climbed to the top of a train, walked to the engineer's car, dropped through the ceiling, and spent the rest of the trip entertaining the drivers.
In the
Second World War , McNally served as acryptographer in India. McNally returned to Saint John's at age 42 to finish his economics degree and write a textbook on the subject.McNally was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.Johnny Blood's life and career are the basis for the character Dodge Connolly in the movie "
Leatherheads ", which opened April 4, 2008. The character is played byGeorge Clooney .References
* [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=149 John (Blood) McNally, Pro Football Hall of Fame]
* "Old Leather." Film byESPN .
* [http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iii/miac/saint_johns/coaching_records.php St. John's Coaching Records]
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