Joe Ratica

{{Short description|American football player (1914–1942)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Joe Ratica

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| number =

| position = Center / Linebacker

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|08|04}}

| birth_place = Denbo, Pennsylvania

| death_date = {{Death year and age|1942|1914}}

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lbs = 205

| college = St. Vincent

| undraftedyear = 1939

| pastteams =

• Brooklyn Dodgers ({{NFL Year|1939}})
• Boston Bears (1940)
• Buffalo Indians (1941)

| highlights =

• Second-team All-AFL honors (1940)

| statseason =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 7

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 4

| pfr = RatiJo20

}}

Joseph H. Ratica (August 4, 1914 – 1942) was an American football center and linebacker for the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League during their 1939 season. He was born in Pennsylvania, and attended St. Vincent College.[http://www.nfl.com/player/joeratica/2523774/profile Joe Ratica] from NFL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2011. On October 22, 1939, he played in the first NFL game to be broadcast live on television, against the Philadelphia Eagles.{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-03-062.pdf|title=PRO FOOTBALL'S FIRST TV GAME -- 1939|last=Campbell|first=Jim|year=1981|work=THE COFFIN CORNER|publisher=Football Digest|pages=Vol. 3, No. 3|accessdate=December 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511105200/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-03-062.pdf|archive-date=May 11, 2012|url-status=dead}}