Joe Iacone
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Iacone is a former American football
running back
. He played college football
at West Chester State University
from 1960 to 1962 where he was twice named a Little All-America and All-East fullback. He was the leading rusher in NCAA Division II as a sophomore and set career and single-season Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
rushing and scoring records that remained unbroken for two to three decades. He averaged 139.5 yards per game over his three years at West Chester, which ranked second all-time in NCAA Division II history at the time.
in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania
, where he earned high school All-American honors in football, and also participated in track and basketball. In 2003, he was part of the first group of athletes inducted into the Radnor High School Hall of Fame.
at West Chester State University
from 1960 to 1962. He was twice named as one of 11 small college players selected by the Associated Press
for its Little All-America team. He received the honor in 1961 and 1962, and was also selected to the All-East team in 1960 and 1961. He also became the third player in Pennsylvania State College Football Conference
history to be selected as a first-team all-conference player in three consecutive years: 1960, 1961, and 1962.
Iacone earned the nickname the "Radno Ripper" while playing football at West Chester. He was able to play fullback on both offense and defense. However, he played principally on offense. West Chester coach, Jim Bonder, told reporters in 1962: "We could use Joe both ways, but you can't expect a boy to run the ball 30 times a game and still play defense."
Iacone was later inducted into the West Chester University Athletic Hall of Fame.
to lead West Chester to the Pennsylvania State College Football Conference championship. In a story about the game, The New York Times
focused on Iacone's performance: "Iacone, a 185-pound junior, carried the ball thirty-three times as West Chester wore down Slippery Rock in the last three quarters." That same month, Sports Illustrated
cited Iacone as a small college player who was "good enough to play on any football team." The article stated: "West Chester (Pa.) State Fullback Joe Iacone, for instance, the stubby, broad-armed young man shown above. As a sophomore Iacone crushed the bid of Northeast Missouri's Dale Mills to win his third straight national rushing crown. Last fall he gained nearly a mile (1,438 yards, to be exact), finishing the season with a wild, 199-yard day against Lock Haven."
. Prior to the Cement Bowl, The New York Times wrote: "Coach Howdy Myers
of Hofstra was chiefly concerned with his team's ability to contain West Chester's mercurial Joe Iacone. This fleet, shifty 185-pound fullback gained 1,270 yards on 196 rushes and scored 16 touchdowns this season."
At the end of his playing career at West Chester, Iacone noted that he regretted that many of the eastern schools refused to play West Chester: "That really bothers me. I wished they played us. Possibly they are just afraid of being beaten."
Iacone also set the Pennsylvania State College Football Conference, now known as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC), scoring record with 288 points in three seasons, a record that was not broken until 1993. He also tied the conference's single-game scoring record by scoring five touchdowns for 30 points in his final regular season game for West Chester. His 1960 and 1962 rushing totals stood as the best two single-season totals in PSAC history for more than 25 years, finally being exceeded in 1989. He also held the PSAC record for career rushing yardage until 1984.
Iacone averaged 139.5 yards per game over his three years at West Chester, which ranked second all-time in NCAA Division II history at the time.
Iacone signed with the Boston Patriots
of the American Football League
in 1964.
.
In 1967, Iacone became a teacher and football coach at The Haverford School
, an all-boys preparatory school in Haverford, Pennsylvania
. After several years, he left teaching to enter the business world. He returned to Haverford in approximately 1988. He retired in June 2008.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at West Chester State University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ...
from 1960 to 1962 where he was twice named a Little All-America and All-East fullback. He was the leading rusher in NCAA Division II as a sophomore and set career and single-season Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
rushing and scoring records that remained unbroken for two to three decades. He averaged 139.5 yards per game over his three years at West Chester, which ranked second all-time in NCAA Division II history at the time.
Early years
Iacone was born in 1940. He attended Radnor High SchoolRadnor High School
Radnor High School is the only public high school in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and is part of the Radnor Township School District. It lies along the Pennsylvania Main Line, a collection of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs...
in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania
Radnor Township, Pennsylvania
Radnor Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 30,878. Radnor Township lies along the Main Line, a collection of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs....
, where he earned high school All-American honors in football, and also participated in track and basketball. In 2003, he was part of the first group of athletes inducted into the Radnor High School Hall of Fame.
West Chester University
Iacone played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at West Chester State University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ...
from 1960 to 1962. He was twice named as one of 11 small college players selected by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
for its Little All-America team. He received the honor in 1961 and 1962, and was also selected to the All-East team in 1960 and 1961. He also became the third player in Pennsylvania State College Football Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
history to be selected as a first-team all-conference player in three consecutive years: 1960, 1961, and 1962.
Iacone earned the nickname the "Radno Ripper" while playing football at West Chester. He was able to play fullback on both offense and defense. However, he played principally on offense. West Chester coach, Jim Bonder, told reporters in 1962: "We could use Joe both ways, but you can't expect a boy to run the ball 30 times a game and still play defense."
Iacone was later inducted into the West Chester University Athletic Hall of Fame.
1960 season
As a sophomore in 1960, Iacone rushed for a school record 1,438 yards in nine games, an average of 160 yards per game. In November 1960, he rushed for 201 yards and scored three touchdowns against Bloomsburg State. Iacone's season rushing total gave him the 1960 NCAA Division II rushing championship.1961 season
As a junior in 1961, Iacone rushed for 1,059 yards. In November 1961, he rushed for 239 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-0 victory over Slippery RockSlippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public, master's-level university that offers some doctoral programs in cooperation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions are members of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education...
to lead West Chester to the Pennsylvania State College Football Conference championship. In a story about the game, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
focused on Iacone's performance: "Iacone, a 185-pound junior, carried the ball thirty-three times as West Chester wore down Slippery Rock in the last three quarters." That same month, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
cited Iacone as a small college player who was "good enough to play on any football team." The article stated: "West Chester (Pa.) State Fullback Joe Iacone, for instance, the stubby, broad-armed young man shown above. As a sophomore Iacone crushed the bid of Northeast Missouri's Dale Mills to win his third straight national rushing crown. Last fall he gained nearly a mile (1,438 yards, to be exact), finishing the season with a wild, 199-yard day against Lock Haven."
1962 season
As a senior, Iacone broke his own West Chester record with 1,486 rushing yards. In November 1962, the Associated Press reported: "They have a saying at West Chester State College: 'As Iacone goes so will the football team.'" In the December 1962 Cement Bowl, he gained 190 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 46-12 upset victory over Hofstra UniversityHofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
. Prior to the Cement Bowl, The New York Times wrote: "Coach Howdy Myers
Howdy Myers
Howard "Howdy" Myers, Jr. was an American football, basketball and lacrosse coach and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as head football coach for Johns Hopkins University from 1946 to 1949 and again in 1979 and at Hofstra University from 1950 to 1974, compiling a...
of Hofstra was chiefly concerned with his team's ability to contain West Chester's mercurial Joe Iacone. This fleet, shifty 185-pound fullback gained 1,270 yards on 196 rushes and scored 16 touchdowns this season."
At the end of his playing career at West Chester, Iacone noted that he regretted that many of the eastern schools refused to play West Chester: "That really bothers me. I wished they played us. Possibly they are just afraid of being beaten."
Records set
Iacone was West Chester's leading rusher for three straight years. His 1960 rushing yardage was good for the NCAA Division II rushing title, and his 1962 total was a single-season West Chester rushing record that stood for 40 years. His 1960 and 1962 totals still rank as the second and fourth highest total in the school's history. His career total of 3,983 yards was the West Chester record until 1990 and still ranks second best in the school's history.Iacone also set the Pennsylvania State College Football Conference, now known as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
(PSAC), scoring record with 288 points in three seasons, a record that was not broken until 1993. He also tied the conference's single-game scoring record by scoring five touchdowns for 30 points in his final regular season game for West Chester. His 1960 and 1962 rushing totals stood as the best two single-season totals in PSAC history for more than 25 years, finally being exceeded in 1989. He also held the PSAC record for career rushing yardage until 1984.
Iacone averaged 139.5 yards per game over his three years at West Chester, which ranked second all-time in NCAA Division II history at the time.
Professional football
He was drafted in the 13th round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played with the Eagles during the pre-season, but was cut by the team in August 1963. Iacone said at the time, "I was just too small. And I was very nervous and tight. I was just starting to get over my nervousness and I was on my way home." He added, "I think they gave me a fair chance. I just wish I had had more time. ... I'm glad I had the chance because I learned so much more about football." He spent the fall of 1963 playing semi pro football and working in a sporting good store.Iacone signed with the Boston Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
in 1964.
Teacher and coach
In October 1963, Iacone was hired as a physical education teacher in the Penn-Delco School DistrictPenn-Delco School District
The Penn-Delco School District is a public education school district in Delaware County, Pennsylvania that encompasses the following municipalities: Aston Township, Brookhaven Borough, and Parkside Borough.Started in 1960 by Dr. William G...
.
In 1967, Iacone became a teacher and football coach at The Haverford School
The Haverford School
The Haverford School is a private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 as The Haverford College Grammar School, it is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, nine miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Philadelphia's historic...
, an all-boys preparatory school in Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,...
. After several years, he left teaching to enter the business world. He returned to Haverford in approximately 1988. He retired in June 2008.