Andy Robustelli

Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. For fourteen seasons (1951 to 1964), he played at the defensive-end position in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants. Born Andrew Richard Robustelli, he attended Stamford High School (Connecticut) and played collegiate football at Arnold College in Connecticut. His collegiate career yielded to his service with the US Navy during World War II. He was selected by the Rams during the 19th round of the 1951 NFL Draft and experienced a world championship in his rookie season, as Los Angeles took the 1951 NFL Title with a defeat of the Browns 24 to 17. After being a member of the 1955 Rams' squad which appeared in the Title Game, Robustelli was acquired by the Giants and while with them established himself as one of the greatest defensive-ends in NFL history. Along with Rosey Grier and Dick Modzelewski, Robustelli anchored the fierce New York defensive line which contributed largely to their capturing of the 1956 NFL Title, as they defeated the Chicago Bears 47 to 7 in the Championship Game. During the course of his career, he appeared in 175 regular season games, earning Pro Bowl honors seven-times (1953, 1955 to 1957, 1959 to 1961) and First-Team All-Pro status six-times (1953, 1955 to 1956, 1958 to 1960). He was recipient of the Bert Bell Trophy from the Maxwell Club in 1962. He concluded his career a member of three consecutive Giants' squads which appeared in the NFL Title Game (1961 to 1963). Robustelli was a participant in eight NFL championship games, including the famed 1958 contest known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", which saw the Colts defeat the Giants 23 to 17 in sudden death overtime. Following his football career, he operated a travel agency in Stamford, Connecticut. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.