Joe Scibelli
{{Short description|American football player (1939–1991)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| number = 71
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|04|19}}
| birth_place = Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|12|11|1939|04|19}}
| death_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
| college = Notre Dame (1957–1958)
American International (1959–1960)
| draftyear = 1961
| draftround = 10
| draftpick = 130
| afldraftyear = 1961
| afldraftround = 10
| afldraftpick = 77
| pastteams =
- Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1961}}–{{NFL Year|1975}})
| highlights =
| pfr = ScibJo00
}}
Joseph Albert Scibelli (April 19, 1939 – December 11, 1991) was an American professional football tackle and guard who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams.
Early life
Scibelli was born on April 19, 1939, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He attended Cathedral High School. He played football and hockey. In 1954, as a sophomore, he was the goaltender on the school's championship ice hockey team. Future NFL hall of fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti attended Cathedral during the same time period, where he and Scibelli were football teammates. They had competed against each other as children in organized football, but in 1955, they were linemates on an undefeated Cathedral team.{{Cite web |title=Joe Scibelli Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/ScibJo00.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Garry |date=2014-02-23 |title=Unforgettable for Cathedral: In 1954 a group of talented athletes made history by winning titles in hockey, basketball and baseball |url=https://www.masslive.com/sports/2014/02/unforgettable_for_cathedral_in.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=masslive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Beattie |first=John |title=Photos of the late Nick Buoniconti, Football Hall of Famer and Springfield, Massachusetts native. |url=https://www.masslive.com/galleries/HFO4TO7IDNGH5DD23NC23PSCUQ/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=masslive |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Nick Buoniconti {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/nick-buoniconti/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=pfhof |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Cathedral (Springfield, MA) Alumni Pro Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/high_schools.cgi?id=93b95905 |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-09-16 |title=Homegrown Legends: New England's greatest products come home as virtual Patriots |url=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/lists/homegrown-legends-best-nfl-players-from-new-england-boston-massachusetts-connecticut/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Patriots Wire |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Garry |date=2012-05-01 |title=Former Cathedral and NFL star Nick Buoniconti will be back in town Tuesday |url=https://www.masslive.com/sports/2012/04/former_cathedral_and_nfl_star.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=masslive |language=en}}
The Joe Scibelli Award is given annually to the top high school offensive lineman in the Pioneer Valley.{{Cite web |last=Chiarelli |first=Mark |date=2018-03-20 |title=West Springfield's Anthony Mineo, Longmeadow's David Schwartz receive top linemen honors |url=https://www.masslive.com/highschoolsports/article/west-springfields-anthony-mineo-longmeadows-david-schwartz-receive-top-linemen-honors/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=masslive |language=en}}
College career
Scibelli originally attended the University of Notre Dame. He played football for the Fighting Irish beginning on the freshman team in 1957 as a 6 ft 250 lb tackle, and moved up to the varsity the following year, where he had 23 tackles on defense.{{Cite web |last=Clements |first=George |date=December 13, 1957 |title=The Notre Dame Scholastic, Football Review, Future Irish Greats (p. 41) |url=https://archives.nd.edu/football/Football-1957s.pdf |website=archives.nd.edu}}{{Cite web |date=December 5, 1958 |title=The Notre Dame Scholastic, Football Review (pp. 8, 25) |url=https://archives.nd.edu/Football/Football-1958s.pdf |website=archives.nd.edu}} He helped recruit Buoniconti to Notre Dame. He did not return to Notre Dame after his sophomore year, in light of conflicts with new coach Joe Kuharich and academic issues, and he returned to Springfield.{{Cite news |date=August 24, 2011 |title=Brothers led on and off the field |work=The Republican |pages=38}} Scibelli finished his college years at American International College in Springfield.
Professional career
Scibelli was taken in the 10th round of the 1961 NFL draft (130th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams.{{Cite web |title=1961 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1961/draft.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was also taken in the 10th round of the 1961 AFL draft (77th overall) by the New York Titans (later the New York Jets).{{Cite web |title=1961 AFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1961_AFL/draft.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
He joined the Rams at the age of 21 in 1961 and did not leave until he was 36 years of age after the 1975 season. He played 202 games at right guard for the Rams, starting in over 190 games. He helped the Rams win the 1967 and 1969 NFC Coastal Division and the 1973-75 NFC West.{{Cite web |title=Los Angeles Rams Team Records, Leaders, and League Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/index.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1967 Regular Season Standings, NFL.com {{!}} Official Site of the National Football League |url=https://www.nfl.com/standings/division/1967/reg |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=1969 Regular Season Standings, NFL.com {{!}} Official Site of the National Football League |url=https://www.nfl.com/standings/division/1969/REG |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=1973 Los Angeles Rams Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/1973.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1974 Los Angeles Rams Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/1974.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1975 Los Angeles Rams Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/1975.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was team captain during his last ten years with the Rams.{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=1991-12-12 |title=Joe Scibelli, Football Player, 52 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/12/obituaries/joe-scibelli-football-player-52.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} In 1973, new Rams coach Chuck Knox created a players executive committee, consisting of Scibelli, future hall of famers Merlin Olson and Tom Mack,{{Cite web |title=Tom Mack {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/tom-mack/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=pfhof |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Merlin Olsen {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/merlin-olsen/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=pfhof |language=en}} Charlie Cowan, Harold Jackson, and John Hadl.{{Cite journal |last=Murray |first=Jim |date=November 1974 |title=Not Just Another Pretty Face |journal=Saturday Evening Post |pages=45}}
In 1961, the Rams had drafted Cowan six rounds before Scibelli.{{Cite web |title=1961 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1961/draft.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Scibelli and Cowan played together on the Rams offensive line from 1961-1975, the duration of both of their careers; with Cowan playing right tackle next to Scibelli at right guard for over four years.{{Cite web |title=Charlie Cowan Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CowaCh00.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Mack played left guard on the same line with Scibelli and Cowan from 1966-75.{{Cite web |title=Tom Mack Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MackTo00.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Center Ken Iman played on their line from 1965-74.{{Cite web |title=Ken Iman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/I/ImanKe20.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} During their tenure with the Rams, the Rams led the NFL in scoring in 1967{{Cite web |title=1967 NFL Standings & Team Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1967/index.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} and 1973; and in total yards gained and yards rushing in 1973.{{Cite web |title=1973 NFL Standings & Team Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/index.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
Scibelli played in the Pro Bowl in 1968, and was a first-team Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) All-Pro selection in 1973; as well as a United Press International (UPI) second-team All-Conference selection in 1973.{{Cite web |title=1968 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1968/probowl.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In seeking an advantage against defensive linemen, Scibelli would chew on raw garlic cloves before and during games, and exhale in his opponents face immediately prior to the ball being snapped to start the play. Scibelli observed, "'Their faces would wrinkle up and they looked like they were going to throw up. ... I could blow them away with my breath.'"{{Cite news |last=Fischer |first=David |date=2005-01-02 |title=Where Have You Gone, Garlic Breath? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/sports/football/where-have-you-gone-garlic-breath.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Personal life
In 1965, he and several of his Ram teammates had cameo roles as football players in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the 12th Wildcat."{{Cite web |title=The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Episode #249) |url=https://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c908_e249.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.perrymasontvshowbook.com}}
After retiring, he ran a produce distributorship in Springfield.
Death
He died in 1991 of cancer at the New England Baptist Hospital.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-12-sp-384-story.html|title= Longtime Ram Standout Joe Scibelli Is Dead at 52 |work=Los Angeles Times|first=Mal|last= Florence|date=December 12, 1991|access-date=July 12, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/12/obituaries/joe-scibelli-football-player-52.html|title=Joe Scibelli, Football Player, 52|work=New York Times|date=December 12, 1991|access-date=July 12, 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Titans1961DraftPicks}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 1961 draft navbox}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 40th Anniversary Team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scibelli, Joe}}
Category:American football offensive linemen
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:Los Angeles Rams players
Category:Western Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players
Category:American International Yellow Jackets football players
Category:Players of American football from Springfield, Massachusetts