Place of birth Niles, Ohio, U.S. Role American football player College Western Reserve Died October 3, 1994 | 1938-1940 Cleveland Rams Positions Lineman Name Phil Ragazzo | |
Date of birth (1915-06-24)June 24, 1915 Date of death October 3, 1994(1994-10-03) (aged 79) NFL draft 1938 / Round: 8 / Pick: 67
(By the Green Bay Packers) Education Case Western Reserve University | ||
Philip John Ragazzo (June 24, 1915 – October 3, 1994) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Cleveland Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants. He played college football at Western Reserve University (now known as Case Western Reserve University) and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1938 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. A graduate of Niles High, he was a three-year letterman for the Red Dragons, graduating in 1934. He was an all- county and All-Ohio selection during a storied scholastic career, playing collegiately for Western Reserve from 1934-37 where he earned All-American honors as an offensive lineman. Considered one of the toughest at his position during his era, he played seven seasons in the National Football League, starting first with the Cleveland Rams (1938-40) and then moving over to the Philadelphia Eagles (1940-41) after being traded by the Rams. His play was interrupted by World War II, but he returned to the NFL as a member of the New York Giants where he played from 1945-47. After football, he became a history teacher at Niles McKinley Hs where he taught until his retirement. He died in Niles, Ohio of natural causes, October 3, 1994 at age 79.