Tony Sardisco
Encyclopedia
Anthony Guy "Tony" Sardisco (December 5, 1932 – May 28, 2006) was an American football
guard
/linebacker
. He played in the National Football League
for the San Francisco 49ers
and Washington Redskins
in 1956
. Sardisco then served in the U.S. Air Force for two years, although 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. From 1960 to 1962, Sardisco played in the American Football League
for the Boston Patriots. He was the Patriots' first captain. Sardisco played college football
at Tulane University
, where he earned his B.S. degree in Psychology
in 1956.
In 1970, Sardisco became the head football coach at his alma mater Jesuit High School (now Loyola College Prep
) in Shreveport, Louisiana
. 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. In 1985, Sardisco ventured into the business world, starting a company, Sardisco Insurance Planning, where he remained active until his death.
Sardisco was admitted to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
He died at age 73 from a myocardial infarction
at his home in Shreveport.
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...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. He played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 1956
1956 NFL season
The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League. CBS became the first network to televise some regular season games across the nation...
. Sardisco then served in the U.S. Air Force for two years, although 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
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
in 1959. From 1960 to 1962, Sardisco played in 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...
for the Boston Patriots. He was the Patriots' first captain. Sardisco 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 Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, where he earned his B.S. degree in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1956.
In 1970, Sardisco became the head football coach at his alma mater Jesuit High School (now Loyola College Prep
Loyola College Prep
Loyola College Prep is a private Catholic coeducational high school in Shreveport, Louisiana operated by the Diocese of Shreveport .-History:...
) in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. 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. In 1985, Sardisco ventured into the business world, starting a company, Sardisco Insurance Planning, where he remained active until his death.
Sardisco was admitted to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
He died at age 73 from a myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his home in Shreveport.