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Alex Rado

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Alex Rado
No. 12
Position:Back
Personal information
Born:(1911-07-19)July 19, 1911
Dayton, Ohio
Died:August 30, 1995(1995-08-30) (aged 84)
Dayton, Ohio
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Roosevelt (Dayton, Ohio)
College:New River State (1931–1933)
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Dayton Bombers (1939)
    Assistant coach
  • Dakota Streeters (1940–1942)
    Head coach
  • Dayton Rockets / John Stanko Barons / Wiedemann Buds (1946–1949)
    Head coach
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Alexander Rado (July 19, 1911 – August 30, 1995) was an American football player and coach. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League (NFL) in 1934.

Early years

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Rado was born on July 19, 1911, in Dayton, Ohio, to Louis and Mary Rado.[1] Rado graduated from Roosevelt High School in Dayton, Ohio,[2] in 1929.[3] He played with the Lakeside Maroons, a semi-professional football team, during high school.[1] He played college football for New River State College from 1931 through 1933.[4][5] He was named captain for the 1933 team.[5] Rado was inducted into his college's hall of fame and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference named him to their "All Time Star" 50th anniversary team in 1974.[6]

Professional career

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Rado joined the Kiefer Drugs, a semi-professional football team in Ohio, for the 1933 season.[7] He also played for the Dakota Streeters, a sandlot football team.[8] He signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League on August 9, 1934.[9] He played in eight games for the Pirates in 1934, rushing for 210 yards.[10] His salary was $100 per game,[11] and he missed one month of the season due to a broken collarbone suffered during a tackle of Bronko Nagurski.[12][13][14] He was released before the start of the 1935 season on September 6, 1935.[15] He and Basilio Marchi filed workers' compensation claims in Pennsylvania against the Steelers, asserting that they should receive salaries despite their injuries during the 1934 season.[12] A judge ruled in their favor in January 1936.[12]

Rado played for the semi-pro Dayton Kesslers for the 1935 season.[16] He joined the Los Angeles Bulldogs in 1936,[17] and signed with the Dayton Rosies of the Midwest Football League in December 1936.[18] He stayed on with the Rosies through the 1937 and 1938 seasons.[19][20] The team became the Dayton Bombers in 1939, with Rado shifting to a role as a player-coach.[21] Rado was a player-coach for the Dakotas Athletic Club semi-professional football team in 1940.[22][23] His team went undefeated on the season.[24][25] Rado and the Dakotas joined the Ohio Professional Football League for the 1941 season.[26][27] He was a player-coach again in 1942 for the Dakotas.[28]

Rado founded the Dayton Rockets in 1946,[29][30] with his role again as a player-coach.[31] The team won the Dayton semi-pro city over the Dayton Bombers, 18–12, on December 1, 1946.[32] He announced his retirement from playing after 1946,[32] but returned as a player during the 1947 season.[33] The team joined the Inter-State Semipro Football League in 1947,[34][35] but left the league during the season.[36] They won the city championship over the Bombers again by a score of 47–0.[37]

The team became the John Stanko Barons for the 1948 season, with Rado playing quarterback.[38] They went 7–1–1 in 1948 before playing in the city championship again opposite the Bombers,[39] which they won for the third year in a row with a score of 30–6.[40] Renamed the Wiedemann Buds,[41] they played for the city championship against the Dayton Bombers again in 1949[42] and won their fourth title, 25–6.[43]

Post-football

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Rado played in a Dayton softball league in 1963.[3] He also officiated high school football games and played bowling.[44] He worked for Delco Products as a tool process engineer after moving back to Dayton in 1936.[1] Rado had two children with his wife Stella,[1] and remarried to Marge after his first wife's death.[45] He died on August 30, 1995.[46]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Nichols, Jim (September 10, 1972). "Rugged Daytonian Alex Rado: 1934 Steelers Cover Boy". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Rado Is Well Liked By Pittsburghers". Dayton Daily News. September 21, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b Carroll, Tom (June 30, 1963). "Time Marches On; So Does Rado". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Rado is Star at New River". Dayton Daily News. October 3, 1931. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "New River wins by 19 to 0 score". The Charleston Daily Mail. October 29, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Collett, Ritter (February 25, 1975). "Journal of Sports". The Journal Herald. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Joe Dankworth is named captain for Kiefer Drug football team this year". The Piqua Daily Call. September 9, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Dakotas Down Kesslers, 8–6". The Dayton Herald. December 4, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "New River Halfback Signed by Rooney". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 10, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Alex Rado Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  11. ^ "Compensation Case May Hit Colleges". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. January 21, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c "Disabled of Pro Football Compensated". Dayton Daily News. January 22, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Rado May Enter Pirate Pro Game". The Pittsburgh Press. November 10, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Marchi Gets Payment For Grid Hurts". The Pittsburgh Press. January 22, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Pirates Battle Portage Eleven". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 6, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Kesslers Top Kiefer Drugs Sunday 12–6". The Piqua Daily Call. September 30, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Burick, Si (October 13, 1936). "Si-ings". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Grid Tilt Shifted To Westwood Field". Dayton Daily News. December 12, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Rosies Have Ball Carriers". The Dayton Herald. October 2, 1937. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Rosies May Try Passes". The Dayton Herald. September 24, 1938. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Round the camps". Greenville Daily Advocate. September 19, 1939. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Dakota Eleven To Work Out". Dayton Daily News. September 15, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Dakotas Put Their Record On The Block". The Dayton Herald. November 15, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Dakotas Beat All-Stars 19–0". Dayton Daily News. December 9, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Sakal, Mike (January 1, 1992). "Dakota Streeters played football mainly for fun". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "2 Dayton Teams In New Pro Football Circuit". Dayton Daily News. September 21, 1941. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Dakotas to Stand Pat On Lineup". The Journal Herald. October 10, 1941. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Merchants Vs. Dakota 11 At Victory Park". Dayton Daily News. October 18, 1942. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "30 Candidates Working Out For Pro "11"". The Dayton Herald. September 4, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Galion Vet-Cubs Ready For Dayton Rockets Sunday Aft". Telegraph-Forum. October 12, 1946. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Sandlot Grid Rockets Wear Mickey's Label". The Dayton Herald. October 30, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ a b "Rocket Rado Makes Exit In Blaze Of Glory". The Dayton Herald. December 2, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Rado, Rockets Set To Battle Indianapolis". The Journal Herald. November 1, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Grid Angels To Play Mendon Tomorrow". The Marion Star. September 26, 1947. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "Sheridan Gridders Win 14th Straight". The Indianapolis News. October 13, 1947. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Rockets Meet Dakotas; Title Game Not Dead". The Dayton Herald. November 22, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Rado Sparks 47–0 Lacing Of Bombers". The Journal Herald. December 1, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Title At Stake In Bombers, Barons Fray". The Journal Herald. November 27, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Barons, Bombers Play For Semipro Grid Title". Dayton Daily News. November 28, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Rado Carries Baron Eleven To Third Straight Title". The Dayton Herald. December 6, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Buds Battle Columbus "11" Here Today". Dayton Daily News. October 16, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ "Radomen, Bombers In Title Grid Tilt Today". Dayton Daily News. November 13, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Buds-'Rocks Tilt Is Hinted". Dayton Daily News. November 20, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "Taylor-Made Pin Scores For Packer". The Journal Herald. October 15, 1964. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ Katz, Marc (December 23, 1989). "Where are they now?: Alex Rado". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Rado dies; ex-Steeler, local star". Dayton Daily News. August 31, 1995. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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