Leo Joseph Wisniewski (born November 6, 1959 in Hancock, Michigan

Hancock, Michigan

Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...

) is a former 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...

 nose tackle who played professionally 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 years

After going to high school at Fox Chapel

Fox Chapel Area High School

Fox Chapel Area High School is a public school located in O'Hara Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It was recognized and honored with the title of "New American High School showcase site" in 1999 under the New American High Schools initiative.-Mission statement:-Accolades:In 2006...

 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

), Wisniewski attended Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

 where he played nose tackle. Over his four years at Penn State he recorded 102 tackles

Tackle (football move)

Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....

 and 11 QB sacks

Quarterback sack

In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...

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Professional career

Wisniewski was drafted

NFL Draft

The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...

 in the second round (28th overall pick) in the 1982 NFL Draft

1982 NFL Draft

The 1982 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 April 27–28, 1982...

 by the Baltimore Colts

History of the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....

. In 1982, Wisniewski spent the first two games of the strike shortened season on injured reserve

Injured reserve

The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...

, but started at nose tackle the final seven. He was credited with 52 total tackles (32 solo) and 2.5 QB sacks. In 1983, Wisniewski played in 15 games (started

Starting lineup

A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...

 14) and scored 95 total tackles (50 solo) and 5.0 QB sacks. He missed the game against the Chicago Bears

Chicago 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...

 (September 25, 1983) with a strained knee. In 1984, his final year, Wisniewski started in 14 of the 16 games, but missed the final two games on the injured reserve with a knee injury. He scored 88 total tackles (51 solo) and 7.0 QB sacks.

Personal

Leo's brother Steve Wisniewski

Steve Wisniewski

Steve Wisniewski nicknamed "The Wiz" is a former Offensive Lineman who played 13 seasons with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and is now an assistant offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft. His rights were traded...

 was a two-time All-American at Penn State as an offensive lineman, and an 8-time Pro Bowl

Pro Bowl

In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...

er with the Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. Leo's son Stefen

Stefen Wisniewski

Stefen David Wisniewski is an American football offensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, and was selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft.-Personal:...

 is currently the Raiders' starting left guard

Guard (American football)

In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....

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