Pietrosante was born in Ansonia, Connecticut, in 1937, and attended Notre Dame High School in West Haven, Connecticut.[1] In his senior year at Notre Dame High School, he scored 23 touchdowns in nine games, became the school's first all-state athlete in any sport, and led the 1954 football team to an undefeated season, outscoring opponents 332–12.[2][3]
Pietrosante was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round, sixth overall pick, of the 1959 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1959, he rushed for 134 yards against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day, the best rushing total recorded by a Lion since Bob Hoernschemeyer rushed for 198 yards in 1950. After the game, Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi said, "That boy shall be a great one some day. He is very tough to bring down."[8] He also led the NFL with an average of 5.9 rushing yards per carry and won the 1959 National Football League Rookie of the Year Award.[1][9][10]
In 1960, Pietrosante had three 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 142 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys.[11][12] For the 1960 season, he rushed for 872 yards, a Lions single-season record and the fourth highest total in the NFL that year. He was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl and was named the most valuable player on the 1960 Lions team.[1][13][14]
In 1961, Pietrosante rushed for 841 yards, again the fourth most in the NFL, and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year.[1] Between 1959 and 1965, Pietrosante set a Lions' franchise record with 3,933 rushing yards.[15]
In September 1966, shortly before the start of the 1966 NFL regular season, the Lions' head coach Harry Gilmer placed Pietrosante on waivers.[16] Days later, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns, who had lost the services of Jim Brown after the 1965 season.[15] However, Pietrosante saw limited action for the Browns, carrying the ball only 17 times for 93 yards during the 1966 and 1967 seasons.[1] In July 1968, Pietrosante announced at age 30 that he was retiring from the NFL.[17]
Family and later years
Pietrosante was married to Geraldine Marie Cox, a nurse from Connecticut, in 1957.[18][19] They had two daughters, Stacy and Cindy, and one son, Nicholas Judd. After retiring from the NFL, he began a business career in the Detroit area. His business interests included an insurance agency (the Schmidt-Barr-Pietrosante Agency) operated with former teammates Joe Schmidt and Terry Barr, a manufacturers representative company (Nick Pietrosante Associates), and a partial ownership interest in the Dearborn Racquet Club.[20][3][21]
