John Varone
| No. 85, 15 | |
| Born: | March 10, 1938 East Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died: | October 11, 2011 (aged 73) Palm Bay, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | Halfback, Fullback, Linebacker |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg) |
| College | University of Miami (1954-1957) |
| High school | East Boston (MA) |
| NFL draft | 1958, round: 4, pick: 46 |
| Drafted by | San Francisco 49ers |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1958–1959 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career stats | |
| Games played | 25 |
| Rushing yards | 259 |
| Receiving yards | 158 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 2 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
John Patrick Varone (November 9, 1936 – October 11, 2011) was an American professional Canadian football player who played as a halfback and fullback, as well as a linebacker. Varone played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1958 to 1959.
Career
[edit]A native of East Boston, Varone attended East Boston High School and graduated in 1954.[1] He went on to play college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes from 1954 to 1957, under coach Andy Gustafson. The team had a winning record in all of the seasons that Varone played there, but did not win any bowl games.[2]
Varone was selected in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL draft as the 46th pick overall by the San Francisco 49ers, coached by Frankie Albert, but soon signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. In both of his seasons with the Blue Bombers under coach Bud Grant, the team won the Grey Cup.[3] Varone played both on offense and defense as a halfback and linebacker in his first season, then transitioning from halfback to fullback in his second season. He would play in a total of 25 games, tallying 259 rushing yards, 158 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Varone returned to Florida, where he played college football, and became a teacher in 1961 at Miami Norland Senior High School. He remained there until 1989.
A resident of Pembroke Pines and then Palm Bay, Varone died in Florida in 2011 at the age of seventy-three.[4]
See also
[edit]- 1958 San Francisco 49ers season
- List of Miami Hurricanes in the NFL draft
- San Francisco 49ers draft history
References
[edit]- ^ "NFL U 1950-1969 – Hurricane Warriors".
- ^ "John Varone CFL Stats - Pro Football Archives".
- ^ "Just Sports Stats". Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ^ "John Patrick Varone Obituary (2012) Sun-Sentinel". Legacy.com.
External links
[edit]
 | This biographical article relating to a Canadian football running back is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1936 births
- 2011 deaths
- People from East Boston
- Players of American football from Boston
- Schoolteachers from Florida
- American football running backs
- Miami Hurricanes football players
- Players of Canadian football from Boston
- Canadian football running backs
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
- Canadian football running back stubs