John Victor McNally (November 27, 1903 –
November 28, 1985) was an American football player, inducted into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame.
Early life
A native of New Richmond, Wisconsin McNally was an intelligent and unathletic
youth who graduated high school at 14. He blossomed into an athlete while at Saint Johns University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he became the captain of the basketball team and a
letterman in track, baseball, and football, all in his junior year.
"Johnny Blood"
With one year of college eligibility left, McNally and a friend decided to join a professional football team. While passing by
a movie theater, McNally saw the title of the film Blood and Sand on the marquee. He
turned to his friend and said, "That's it. You be Sand. I'll be Blood."
Using the alias "Johnny Blood" — an alias that became his nickname — McNally was able to play professional football without
losing his college eligibility.
Career highlights
McNally played in the National Football League for 14 seasons, with five
different teams. In his prime, McNally was 6'1" and 188 lbs., known for his speed, agility, and pass-catching ability.
He got his professional start in 1925 with the Milwaukee Badgers, where he became
famous as the "Vagabond Halfback" for his off-the-field behavior and spontaneity.
In 1926 and 1927 he played for the Duluth Eskimos, and in 1928 he played with the Pottsville Maroons.
Between 1929 and 1936 he played with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he won four
championships.
In 1937, he moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers (then called the Pirates), where
on his first play he ran back a kick 92 yards for a touchdown. He ended his NFL career in 1939 as the head coach of the
Pirates.
From 1950-1952, he coached football at Saint John's where he amassed 13-9 record during his three year stint.
Later in life
McNally's spontaneous and bizarre behavior didn't stop with his football career. Upon one occasion, out of boredom, he climbed
to the top of a train, walked to the engineer's car, dropped through the ceiling, and spent the rest of the trip entertaining the
drivers.
In the Second World War, McNally served as a cryptographer in India. McNally returned
to Saint Johns at age 42 to finish his economics degree and write a textbook on the subject.
McNally was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
Sources
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
