John Sciarra
Encyclopedia
John Michael Sciarra is a former professional American football
safety in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
from 1978
to 1983
. He also played quarterback
for the British Columbia Lions
of the Canadian Football League
. He played college football
at UCLA
.
at Bishop Amat Memorial High School
in La Puente, California
, where he was named the CIF Southern Section
Player of the Year in 1971.
n quarterback at UCLA. He starred in the 1976 Rose Bowl in which UCLA upset favored Ohio State University
, which was unbeaten ranked number one in the nation, by a score of 23–10. Sciarra was named Most Valuable Player in the game.
in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft
and chose not to sign with them, he signed a two-year contract with the BC Lions
of the Canadian Football League
on May 26, 1976. He earned the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
in 1976 as a quarterback
.
signed Sciarra, and the Philadelphia Eagles
traded a undisclosed draft pick to Tamp Bay in exchange for Sciarra in 1978. While with the Eagles, he played for legendary coach Dick Vermeil
, who had been his college coach at UCLA. The Eagles were a successful team at that time and won the NFC Championship in 1980 and played in Super Bowl XV
. He was re-signed to a two-year contract on June 15, 1981, and played with the Eagles until 1983.
Sciarra was the keynote speaker at the 2009 UCLA's Sociology Department graduation ceremony, where graduates included Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman
, current quarterback Kevin Craft
and former linebacker Marcus Reece, who came back to UCLA to finish his degree.
, his son, also played football at UCLA, but at the end of the 2003 season, the younger Sciarra transferred to Wagner College.
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...
safety 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...
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...
from 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
to 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
. He also played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
.
Early years
Sciarra played high school footballHigh 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....
at Bishop Amat Memorial High School
Bishop Amat Memorial High School
Bishop Amat Memorial High School is a co-ed Catholic high school serving the San Gabriel Valley in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and was founded in 1957. The campus is located in La Puente, California, approximately 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County...
in La Puente, California
La Puente, California
La Puente is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 39,816 at the 2010 census.* City flower: The Golden Hibiscus* City colors: Green and White.-History:...
, where he was named the CIF Southern Section
CIF Southern Section
C.I.F. Southern Section is the largest of the ten sections that comprise the California Interscholastic Federation . Its membership includes most public and private high schools in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Mono and Inyo counties, as...
Player of the Year in 1971.
College career
Sciarra was an All-America1975 College Football All-America Team
The 1975 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
n quarterback at UCLA. He starred in the 1976 Rose Bowl in which UCLA upset favored Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, which was unbeaten ranked number one in the nation, by a score of 23–10. Sciarra was named Most Valuable Player in the game.
BC Lions
After Sciarra was drafted by the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
and chose not to sign with them, he signed a two-year contract with the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on May 26, 1976. He earned the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
The Most Outstanding Rookie Award is annually rewarded to the player deemed to be the best player in his first year in the Canadian Football League. This is the fifth-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it...
in 1976 as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
signed Sciarra, and 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...
traded a undisclosed draft pick to Tamp Bay in exchange for Sciarra in 1978. While with the Eagles, he played for legendary coach Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
, who had been his college coach at UCLA. The Eagles were a successful team at that time and won the NFC Championship in 1980 and played in Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
. He was re-signed to a two-year contract on June 15, 1981, and played with the Eagles until 1983.
Awards and honors
On August 8, 1991, Sciarra was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.Sciarra was the keynote speaker at the 2009 UCLA's Sociology Department graduation ceremony, where graduates included Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, current quarterback Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft
Kevin Craft is a former college football quarterback at UCLA, who played for the Cougars de Saint-Ouen l'Aumône, France in France.-High school years:...
and former linebacker Marcus Reece, who came back to UCLA to finish his degree.
Personal
John Sciarra Jr.John Sciarra Jr.
John Sciarra Jr. is a former quarterback who played football at the University of California, Los Angeles and Wagner College. He was born in California and was a 2001 graduate of Saint Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California.- UCLA career :...
, his son, also played football at UCLA, but at the end of the 2003 season, the younger Sciarra transferred to Wagner College.