Tony Bova
| No. 31, 85, 41 | |||||||||
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| Position: | End, Halfback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | August 21, 1917 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | October 15, 1973 (aged 56) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | The Kiski School | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Anthony J. Bova (August 21, 1917 – October 15, 1973)[1] was a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1940s. He graduated from The Kiski School and then Saint Francis University, located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, in 1943.[2] He was 6'1" and weighed 190 pounds when he played for the Steelers during World War II, when they temporarily merged with the Philadelphia Eagles (in 1943) and Chicago Cardinals (in 1944) to form the "Steagles" and "Card-Pitt". He played end, halfback, and quarterback during his career from 1942 to 1947.[3] In 1942 he also played left end on defense and in 1947 scored a safety.[4] In 1943 Bova led the NFL in average gain per completed pass in 1943, netting 419 yards in 19 completed aerials.[5][6][7]
He was also blind in one eye and partially blind in the other.[8] He joined the United States Navy during World War II and reported for duty in February 1943 as a Seabee.[9] He was soon discharged from the navy due to his vision.[10]
Bova is also listed on the NFL honor roll, located at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which lists the over 1,000 NFL personnel who served in the military during World War II.[11]
He died of a heart attack in 1973. He is buried in the Mt. Royal Cemetery in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania.[1]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b "Anthony J. Bova obituary". Beaver County Times. October 16, 1973. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ 2005 Saint Francis University Alumni Directory, p. 307.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 5, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Tony Bova Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Dedman, Gordon. "1947 Pittsburgh Steelers". Steelers UK. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/eagles_files/html/1940-1949_4.html [dead link]
- ^ "Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Article". Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ maryrose (September 17, 2008). "Steagles: When the Steelers and Eagles were One in [sic] the Same". SB Nation: Behind the Steel Curtain. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ Sell, Jack. "Stars Serving Uncle Sam", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 18, 1943, page 15. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Tony Bova", Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Football and America: WW II Honor Roll". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 1, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- 1917 births
- 1973 deaths
- Players of American football from Pittsburgh
- Saint Francis Red Flash football players
- Card-Pitt players
- Pittsburgh Steelers players
- Steagles players and personnel
- The Kiski School alumni
- Military personnel from Pittsburgh
- United States Navy sailors
- Seabees
- United States Navy personnel of World War II
- American disabled sportspeople