Ed Franco
Encyclopedia
Edmondo Guido Armando Franco ("Ed Franco") (April 24, 1915 - November 18, 1992) was a professional American football
player. He earned fame as one of the legendary Seven Blocks of Granite
and played professionally
for the Boston Yanks
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1980.
, Nicola and Filomena Franco, on Christopher Street, in New York City
. The family later moved to Jersey City, New Jersey
, where Franco began to display his extraordinary athletic ability. He earned All-State honors at William L. Dickinson High School
as both guard for the football
team and catcher
for baseball
.
where he was elected president of his freshman class. He played guard and tackle for the legendary "Seven Blocks of Granite," coached by the "Sleepy" Jim Crowley
, one of the famed Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. The 5-8, 196-pound Franco was voted as a consensus All-American for both positions following the 1937 and 1938 seasons. He played alongside the famous Vince Lombardi
, who played right guard for the Blocks of Granite. In 1935 the Rams posted a 6-1-2 record with five shutouts. The 1936 squad lost only one game, the season final to New York University
. The Blocks saw their peak in 1937 with 8 wins, no losses, no ties. Franco also served as captain
of the East team in the 1938 East-West Shrine Game
. On October 24, 2008, Fordham University
honored the memory of this legendary defensive line by dedicating a monument on its Rose Hill campus. The monument, which includes seven blocks made out of granite stone, stands by the entrance to the Jack Coffey Field.
in the 1938 NFL Draft
, but didn't stay with the team. On December 9, 1939, Franco married his sweetheart Anna May McGinley, a nursing student at Bayonne Nursing School. Franco decided not to continue his professional career, however, since football, in that day, paid little compared to the well-compensated NFL players of today. Franco returned to Fordham as a line coach
for six years, where he helped the Rams
get a Cotton Bowl Classic bid in 1941 and a Sugar Bowl
bid in 1942. In 1944 he returned to the NFL and won the starting tackle job in his first game as a member of the Boston Yanks
. Franco worked as the eastern scout
for the Green Bay Packers
and the Washington Redskins
along with coach and close friend Lombardi. He later owned several successful businesses in Jersey City and Secaucus
and worked for the Meadowlands Racetrack
. In 1980, Ed Franco was finally honored for his achievements in football by being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
. That same year, Franco was also honored with a Jersey City baseball park in his name, which is still in use today. He died on November 18, 1992 at the age of 77. He is survived by his three children, Margaret, Ned, and Rosemary, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
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...
player. He earned fame as one of the legendary Seven Blocks of Granite
Seven Blocks of Granite
The Seven Blocks of Granite was a nickname given to the Fordham University football team's offensive line under head coach "Sleepy" Jim Crowley and line coach Frank Leahy. The most famous Seven Blocks of Granite were: Leo Paquin, Johnny Druze, Alex Wojciechowicz, Ed Franco, Al Babartsky, Natty...
and played professionally
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
for the Boston Yanks
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox schedule were held at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts...
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1980.
Early life
Ed Franco was the youngest of nine children born to Italian immigrantsImmigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, Nicola and Filomena Franco, on Christopher Street, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The family later moved to Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, where Franco began to display his extraordinary athletic ability. He earned All-State honors at William L. Dickinson High School
William L. Dickinson High School
William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year public high school located in Jersey City, New Jersey, as part of the Jersey City Public Schools...
as both guard for the football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Seven Blocks of Granite College Football Fame
After high school, Ed "Devil Doll" Franco attended Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
where he was elected president of his freshman class. He played guard and tackle for the legendary "Seven Blocks of Granite," coached by the "Sleepy" Jim Crowley
Jim Crowley
James Harold "Jim" Crowley was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback from 1922 to 1924. After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching...
, one of the famed Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. The 5-8, 196-pound Franco was voted as a consensus All-American for both positions following the 1937 and 1938 seasons. He played alongside the famous Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
, who played right guard for the Blocks of Granite. In 1935 the Rams posted a 6-1-2 record with five shutouts. The 1936 squad lost only one game, the season final to New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. The Blocks saw their peak in 1937 with 8 wins, no losses, no ties. Franco also served as captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the East team in the 1938 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. On October 24, 2008, Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
honored the memory of this legendary defensive line by dedicating a monument on its Rose Hill campus. The monument, which includes seven blocks made out of granite stone, stands by the entrance to the Jack Coffey Field.
Post Professional Football Career
Franco had a brief professional career: He was a 5th round selection (31st overall) of the Cleveland RamsCleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
in the 1938 NFL Draft
1938 NFL Draft
The 1938 National Football League Draft was held on December 12, 1937. The draft consisting of 12 rounds and 110 player selections, began with the leagues newest expansion team the Cleveland Rams taking Corbett Davis and ended with the Mr...
, but didn't stay with the team. On December 9, 1939, Franco married his sweetheart Anna May McGinley, a nursing student at Bayonne Nursing School. Franco decided not to continue his professional career, however, since football, in that day, paid little compared to the well-compensated NFL players of today. Franco returned to Fordham as a line coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
for six years, where he helped the Rams
Fordham Rams
The 22 Fordham University varsity sports teams are known as the Fordham Rams. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA...
get a Cotton Bowl Classic bid in 1941 and a Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
bid in 1942. In 1944 he returned to the NFL and won the starting tackle job in his first game as a member of the Boston Yanks
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox schedule were held at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts...
. Franco worked as the eastern scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for 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...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
along with coach and close friend Lombardi. He later owned several successful businesses in Jersey City and Secaucus
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
and worked for the Meadowlands Racetrack
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
. In 1980, Ed Franco was finally honored for his achievements in football by being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. That same year, Franco was also honored with a Jersey City baseball park in his name, which is still in use today. He died on November 18, 1992 at the age of 77. He is survived by his three children, Margaret, Ned, and Rosemary, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.