Dave Pureifory was a professional American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 defensive lineman for three teams in an eleven-year career in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

.

Early life

Pureifory was born in Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...

. He attended college at Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...

 where he played football. While at school he also learned and trained in a very effective, fairly unheard of martial art. Ping Shudo, Shihon in the art of Jishukan-Ryu Jujitsu, was on staff at Eastern, where he taught Pureifory and many others the art of jujitsu, and many other Eastern philosophies (including humility).

Football career

He was drafted in the 6th round of the 1972 NFL Draft

1972 NFL Draft

The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...

 by the Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

, where he played primarily in a backup role as defensive tackle. While he was known for his play on defense, for two games in 1975 he was called upon to fill-in for injured Kicker Chester Marcol

Chester Marcol

Czesław "Chester" Marcol is a former American Football Placekicker for the Green Bay Packers. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1987.-Early years:...

. In four extra point

Extra Point

Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...

 attempts, Pureifory was successful twice;.

The Packers traded Pureifory to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 for a fifth-round selection in a draft day trade in 1978

1978 NFL Draft

The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...

. The Steelers subsequent moved him to the New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 for their 1979

1979 NFL Draft

The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...

 sixth-round pick. The Patriots released him prior to the season. He was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

, but went to the Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

 mid-season as a free agent

Free agent

In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

. It was in Detroit where he saw his greatest success, starting every game he played there, and winning Detroit's Most Valuable Defensive Player honors in 1980

1980 Detroit Lions season

-Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection -Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection -Roster:-Awards and records:* Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection (1980* Billy Sims, 1980 Offensive Rookie of the Year* Billy Sims, 1980 UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year* Billy Sims,...

. While having one of his best seasons in 1982

1982 Detroit Lions season

-Awards and records:Regular Season record* First team with a losing record to qualify for the playoffs. Shared with Cleveland Browns...

, Pureifory sustained leg injuries that ended his NFL career. Nonetheless, he later played with the Michigan Panthers

Michigan Panthers

The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....

 and Birmingham Stallions

Birmingham Stallions

The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...

 of the United States Football League

United States Football League

The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...

.

Post-football career

In 1981 Purifory was elected to Eastern Michigan’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He died March 5, 2009 in Ypsilanti, Michigan

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...

, from pancreatic cancer at the age of 59.