John Rokisky

John Rokisky
A headshot of John Rokisky from a newspaper article
Rokisky while at Duquesne University
No. 54
Position:End, Placekicker
Personal information
Born:(1919-11-30)November 30, 1919
Mount Clare, West Virginia, U.S.
Died:December 1, 1993(1993-12-01) (aged 74)
Keyser, West Virginia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Washington Irving (Clarksburg, West Virginia)
College:Duquesne
NFL draft:1942 / round: 18 / pick: 161
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games:25
Extra points made:34
Stats at Pro Football Reference
John Rokisky while serving in the U.S. Navy.

John Stanley "Rock" Rokisky (November 30, 1919 – December 1, 1993) was an American professional football player who was an end and placekicker for three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Rockets and New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Rokisky grew up in West Virginia and played college football for the Duquesne Dukes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was a standout as an end and kicker. After a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he joined the Browns in 1946. The Browns won the AAFC championship that year. Rokisky was sent to the Rockets in 1947 and to the Yankees the following year before leaving football.

Early life and college career

Rokisky was the youngest child of Florian Rokisky and Apolonia (Faculak) Rokisky, Slovak immigrants from the town of Lipnica Wielka (now part of Southern Poland). One of nine children, Rokisky grew up in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He played football for Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg, and as an end and a placekicker at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania beginning in 1939, when he was a sophomore.[1][2][3] He scored nine points that year in an upset of the University of Pittsburgh.[2] In a December game against the University of Detroit Mercy Titans, he kicked an extra point to tie the game at 10–10 and preserve Duquesne's unbeaten record.[3] The Dukes finished the season undefeated and were ranked eighth in the nation in the AP Poll of the best college teams.[4] After the 1941 season, he was named an All-American by Collier's.[5] At the end of 1941, he played on an eastern all-star college football team, one of three all-star squads he made during college.[6][7]

After he graduated from Duquesne, Rokisky joined the U.S. Navy in February 1942 and was attached to the Seebee's, a construction battalion.[4] He played football for a military team in 1944 while stationed at Camp Peary in Virginia and was selected to play on the Navy's all-star team.[4] Rokisky served in the Navy until October 1945.

Professional career

Rokisky was selected in 1942 by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, but did not sign with the team as he continued his military service.[4] In 1946, following his discharge from the Navy, he signed with the Cleveland Browns, a team under formation in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC).[4] He was the 21st player signed by the team.[4] Paul Brown, the coach of the Browns, placed Rokisky on the team's inactive list in October to make room for the addition of Bud Schwenk to the team's roster.[8] The Browns went on to win the AAFC championship.[9]

Rokisky played in 1947 for the Chicago Rockets as a kicker, and moved in 1948 to the AAFC's New York Yankees before leaving professional football.[10]

John Rokisky in his later years as a hotel/golf course owner
Grave of John Rokisky at Holy Cross Cemetery, Clarksburg, WV.

In his later years, Rokisky returned to West Virginia and was the owner of the Potomac Motel & Dining Room and Polish Pines Golf Course in Keyser, West Virginia. He died in Keyser, West Virginia in 1993 and is buried in Clarksburg, WV near his parents.

References

  1. ^ "Pitt Toppled By Duquesne". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. October 21, 1939. p. 11. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Sub End Halts Panthers' Rush". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Pittsburgh, PA. International News Service. October 22, 1939. p. C1.
  3. ^ a b "Rokisky's Kicks Save Duquesne". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Pittsburgh, PA. Associated Press. December 3, 1939. p. C1.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Ex-Duquesne Star Signed By Browns". Cleveland Plain Dealer. February 13, 1946. p. 18.
  5. ^ "Rokisky On Collier's Team". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. New York. December 5, 1941. p. 19. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  6. ^ "Fordham Works For Sugar Game". The News and Courier. International News Service. December 28, 1941. p. 10. Retrieved August 6, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ Piascik 2007, p. 29.
  8. ^ "Fekete Is Slated For Coast Action". Cleveland Plain Dealer. October 30, 1946. p. 19.
  9. ^ Piascik 2007, p. 64.
  10. ^ "John Rokisky NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 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.