The Story And Significance Of Leo Nomellini - 6 Time First-Team All-Pro At Offensive And Defensive Tackle

Leo Joseph Nomellini was an Italian-American Hall of Fame American football offensive and defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and professional wrestler. He played college football for Minnesota, and was a three-time tag team champion in wrestling.

Nomellini was selected in the 1st round (11th overall) of the 1950 NFL draft, the first draft pick in the history of the San Francisco 49ers. 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." Nomellini was named to the NFL's all-time team as a defensive tackle. In 1969, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in 1977, the College Football Hall of Fame.

To many of his opponents, it must have seemed that Leo Nomellini was around an awfully long time. He was, too, for he didn't miss a game for the San Francisco 49ers from the day they first played in the NFL in 1950 until after the 1963 campaign, 14 long years later.

Leo played in 174 straight regular-season games and counting all appearances, including 10 Pro Bowl games, he played in 266 pro contests. Nomellini was an All-America tackle for two years at Minnesota and the number one draft choice of the 49ers in 1950.

The choice of Nomellini proved to be a superb one. At 6-3 and 260, "The Lion” had everything needed to be an all-time pro great – size, speed, agility, aggressiveness, dedication to the game, superb conditioning and the willingness to go the full 60 minutes of any game.

Nomellini was one of the few players ever to win All-NFL recognition both on offense and defense. Leo was named all-league at offensive tackle in 1951 and 1952, and then received All-NFL honors for his defensive line play in 1953, 1954, 1957, and 1959.

The status as an all-time pro grid great is a far cry from the impoverished days Leo knew as a youth. Born in Lucca, Italy, in 1924, Nomellini came to Chicago as an infant. Because he had to work to help support his family, Leo had to pass up high school football. So the first game he ever saw was one he played in, as a member of the Cherry Point, N.C., Marines team.

Later, at Minnesota, he was a starter in the first college game he ever saw. Freshmen were eligible then and it was the start of a brilliant four-year college career. Like a fine old wine, Leo improved with age during his long term with the 49ers. When he finally retired at 39 after 14 years of battering the enemy, Nomellini had been tagged "indestructible." It was a tag he had truly earned and appreciated.

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 Mike Sharpe and Ben 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).

While working for the National Wrestling Alliance, Nomellini once defeated Lou Thesz in a two-out-of-three falls match, but was not awarded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship because the first fall was a disqualification.

Nomellini would leave NWA San Francisco to head to Minnesota to work for Verne Gagne and the NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club.

On May 15, 1958, Nomellini, teaming with Verne Gagne defeated Mike and Doc Gallagher for the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version). He would win the title again on July 14, 1959 while teaming with Butch Levy and defeated Karol and Ivan Kalmikoff. He would win it for the last time on July 19, 1960, once again teaming with Gagne and defeating Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills.
Nomellini won his final professional wrestling championship on May 23, 1961 when he and Wilbur Snyder defeated Gene Kiniski and Hard Boiled Haggerty for the AWA World Tag Team Championship.