Roman Piskor

Roman Piskor
A picture of Roman Piskor in uniform sitting on a bench in 1946, while with the New York Yankees
Piskor in 1946 while with the Yankees
No. 41, 45
Position:Tackle
Personal information
Born:(1917-08-09)August 9, 1917
North Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
Died:August 1981(1981-08-00) (aged 63–64)
Niagara, New York, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:North Tonawanda
College:Niagara University
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • AAFC champion (1947)
Career NFL statistics
Games:34
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Roman John "Ray" Piskor (August 19, 1917 – August 1981) was an American football tackle who played three seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) between 1946 and 1948. Piskor played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Rockets. Piskor grew up in North Tonawanda, New York and attended Niagara University, where he was a star lineman. After several years in the Army Air Force during World War II, he was signed by the Yankees in 1946. Piskor was traded to the Browns the following year, when the team won the AAFC championship. He spent a final season with the Rockets in 1948.

High school and college career

Piskor attended North Tonawanda High School in North Tonawanda, New York.[1] He enrolled at Niagara University in 1938 and was a star lineman on the school's football team.[1] Piskor joined the Army Air Force in July 1942 during World War II and did his basic training in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[2] Piskor was a member of an Eastern All-Army team coached by Robert Neyland in 1942.[3] He later transferred to a base in Greensboro, North Carolina and played for its Tech Hawks football team.[2] He went to fight overseas in 1944 with the Third Air Force.[2]

Professional career

After his discharge from the Air Force, Piskor joined the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. The Yankees finished the year with a 10–3–1 win-loss-tie record and faced the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC championship.[4] The Yankees lost the game 14–9.[4] Piskor, who worked for the Yankees as an accountant in the offseason, was sent to the Buffalo Bills in 1947 and then traded to the Browns for John Duda and Jack Carpenter.[3][5] Cleveland finished the season with a 12–1–1 record and won the AAFC championship, beating the Yankees in the title game for the second year in a row.[6] Piskor was sent to the Chicago Rockets in 1948 as part of a league-led effort to balance out talent among the AAFC's teams.[7] He spent one season with the Rockets before retiring from professional football.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Niagara Has Candidate In Roman Piskor". The Pittsburgh Press. October 20, 1939. p. 45. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Ex-Mates Piskor, Kasprazak To Clash in Service Contest" (PDF). The Evening News. October 11, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Browns Land Big Lineman In Trade". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Bowling Green, O. August 23, 1947. p. 14.
  4. ^ a b "1946 New York Yankees Players & Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  5. ^ "Roman Piskor, Former Niagara Star, May Play with Bisons Next Season" (PDF). The Niagara Falls Gazette. March 22, 1947. p. 16. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  6. ^ Piascik 2007, p. 81.
  7. ^ "'Gift' Gridder Is Rocket Headache". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chicago. Associated Press. February 17, 1948. p. 16.
  8. ^ "Roman Piskor NFL Football Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.

Bibliography

  • Piascik, Andy (2007). The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58979-571-6.