Leo Nomellini

Leo Joseph Nomellini (June 19, 1924 – October 17, 2000) was an Italian-American professional football player and professional wrestler. He played college football for the Minnesota Gophers and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1950 NFL draft. He played 14 seasons as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), all of them with the 49ers, playing his first three years as an offensive tackle as well.

Nomellini was a seven-time tag team champion in wrestling for two different versions.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969 and to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Nomellini was born at Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, and immigrated to the United States as an infant to Minnesota, before later moving to Chicago, Illinois, where he attended Crane High School. After high school, he joined the Marine Corps. It was there that in 1942, he first started playing football.

After the war, he received a football scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he became a two-time All-American and the 49ers' first NFL draft choice in 1950. Nomellini was also an All-American for the Minnesota Golden Gophers track and field team, finishing 7th in the hammer throw at the 1948 NCAA track and field championships. While at Minnesota, Nomellini was a member of Delta Chi fraternity.

Nomellini was the first ever NFL draft selection of the San Francisco 49ers (formerly of the All-America Football Conference), who selected him in the 1st round as the 11th overall pick of the 1950 NFL draft. As a professional, he appeared in 174 regular-season games and started 166 for his 14-year career.

While with the 49ers, he played both offensive and defensive tackle, winning All-Pro honors at both positions. He was selected to the All-NFL team six times: two years on offense and four years on defense. "He was as strong as three bulls," said 49ers teammate Joe Perry. "He'd slap you on the back and knock you twenty feet." He was selected as the defensive tackle on the NFL 50th Anniversary All Time Team.

During the off-season Nomellini often wrestled professionally as Leo "The Lion" Nomellini debuting in Minnesota in 1950. For his career, he was a 10-time tag team champion. He won his first tag team championship in NWA San Francisco on March 14, 1952, when he teamed with Hombre Montana. The duo defeated Ben and Mike Sharpe for the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version). Four months later, Nomellini and Gino Garibaldi won the NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship. In April 1953, Nomellini regained the NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship while teaming with Enrique Torres when they defeated Fred and Ray Atkins. Nomellini and Torres defeated the Mike and Ben Sharpe on May 6, 1953, for the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version). On May 11, 1954, Nomellini teamed with Rocky Brown to defeat the Sharpes and win the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version). In 1957, Nomellini, again teaming with Torres, defeated Lord James Blears and Ben Sharpe for the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version).