Jack Ferrante
Encyclopedia
Jack Anthony "Blackjack" Ferrante (March 9, 1916 – November 24, 2006) was an American football
end in the National Football League
who played for the Philadelphia Eagles
in 1941 and from 1944 to 1950.
Born in Camden, New Jersey
, Ferrante's family moved to South Philadelphia
when he was six, and later to West Philadelphia
; he dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and began working in local supermarkets. He began playing pro football in local leagues in 1934, initially getting $7 per game. He gained a tryout with the Eagles in 1939, and was signed by their farm team, the Wilmington Clippers. After another tryout, Ferrante played three games for the Eagles in 1941, but was sent back to Wilmington until making the Philadelphia roster for good in 1944. He was a member of the Eagles' championship teams in 1948
and 1949
. Ferrante had 169 receptions for 2,884 yards and 31 touchdowns in a nine-year career with the Eagles. He retired after his contract was sold to the Detroit Lions
in 1950, when the team would not meet his salary demands. In seven seasons he started every game but one and played on three consecutive Eastern Division championship teams and two consecutive NFL championship teams. His best game was in 1948 when he had 184 yards and 3 touchdowns against Detroit. He holds an Eagles record for three consecutive games with touchdowns of more than 60 yards. He was also elected to the 1940's NFL All-Decade Team. He became a salesman for a brewing company, and later served as a volunteer coach at Monsignor Bonner High School
, leading the school to its first Philadelphia
city championship in 1959 as well as a second title in 1961. He also became the head coach of the Wilmington Comets during the 1965 season in Wilmington, Delaware. The Wilmington Comets competed in the North American Football League, a new professional league which had franchises in Pittsburgh, Wilmington, Baltimore/Annapolis, Mobile(AL), Lakeland (FL), and Huntsville (AL). The Comets had an affiliation with the Philadelphia Eagles, and later became the Pottstown Firebirds, when the franchise was moved to Pottstown (PA), and were featured in an NFL films feature film. Ferrante retired from his sales position in 1977, and died at age 90 in Yardley, Pennsylvania
.
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...
end 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...
who played for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1941 and from 1944 to 1950.
Born in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, Ferrante's family moved to South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
when he was six, and later to West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
; he dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and began working in local supermarkets. He began playing pro football in local leagues in 1934, initially getting $7 per game. He gained a tryout with the Eagles in 1939, and was signed by their farm team, the Wilmington Clippers. After another tryout, Ferrante played three games for the Eagles in 1941, but was sent back to Wilmington until making the Philadelphia roster for good in 1944. He was a member of the Eagles' championship teams in 1948
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
and 1949
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
. Ferrante had 169 receptions for 2,884 yards and 31 touchdowns in a nine-year career with the Eagles. He retired after his contract was sold 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...
in 1950, when the team would not meet his salary demands. In seven seasons he started every game but one and played on three consecutive Eastern Division championship teams and two consecutive NFL championship teams. His best game was in 1948 when he had 184 yards and 3 touchdowns against Detroit. He holds an Eagles record for three consecutive games with touchdowns of more than 60 yards. He was also elected to the 1940's NFL All-Decade Team. He became a salesman for a brewing company, and later served as a volunteer coach at Monsignor Bonner High School
Monsignor Bonner High School
Monsignor Bonner High School is an all-male Augustinian Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Bonner was created in 1953 as Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys...
, leading the school to its first Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
city championship in 1959 as well as a second title in 1961. He also became the head coach of the Wilmington Comets during the 1965 season in Wilmington, Delaware. The Wilmington Comets competed in the North American Football League, a new professional league which had franchises in Pittsburgh, Wilmington, Baltimore/Annapolis, Mobile(AL), Lakeland (FL), and Huntsville (AL). The Comets had an affiliation with the Philadelphia Eagles, and later became the Pottstown Firebirds, when the franchise was moved to Pottstown (PA), and were featured in an NFL films feature film. Ferrante retired from his sales position in 1977, and died at age 90 in Yardley, Pennsylvania
Yardley, Pennsylvania
Yardley is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The small community of Yardley is bordered by the Delaware River and Ewing, New Jersey on the east, and by Lower Makefield Township on the north, west, and south...
.