Rusty Ganas
{{Short description|American football player (born 1949)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Rusty Ganas
| image =
| number = 69
| position = Defensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|8|12}}
| birth_place = Waycross, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 257
| high_school = Ware County (Waycross)
| college = South Carolina (1967–1970)
| undraftedyear = 1971
| pastteams =
- Baltimore Colts ({{NFL Year|1971}})
- Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1973}})*
- Philadelphia Bell (1974)*
| pfr = GanaRu20
}}
Russell Lindberg Ganas (born August 12, 1949) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played one season with the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina.
Early life and college
Russell Lindberg Ganas was born on August 12, 1949, in Waycross, Georgia.{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/g/gana00400.html | title=RUSTY GANAS | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=2 May 2025}} He attended Ware County High School in Waycross, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track.{{cite web | url=https://wwcsportshalloffame.com/russell-l-rusty-ganas-jr/ | title=Russell L. (Rusty) Ganas Jr. – 1991 | publisher=Waycross-Ware County Sports Hall of Fame | accessdate=3 May 2025}} He was inducted into the Waycross-Ware County Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
Ganas was a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina from 1967 to 1970. He was a three-year letterman and three-year starter from 1968 to 1970.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 1971 NFL draft, Ganas signed with the Baltimore Colts, who were coming off a Super Bowl-winning season.{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/g/gana00400.html | title=Rusty Ganas Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=2 May 2025}}{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun/141366058/ | title=Ganas Fills Gap In Colt Line | work=The Evening Sun | date=August 25, 1971 | accessdate=February 18, 2024}} He played in one game for the Colts during the 1971 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GanaRu20.htm | title=Rusty Ganas | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=2 May 2025}} He also spent time on the team's taxi squad that season.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times/171592009/ | title=Cold Wave Hits Colts | work=Quad-City Times | date=January 1, 1972 | agency=Associated Press | accessdate=2 May 2025 | pages=12}} Ganas was cut by the Colts on August 26, 1972.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lowell-sun/171593899/ | title=Colts cut tackle Ganas | work=The Lowell Sun | date=August 27, 1972 | agency=United Press International | accessdate=3 May 2025}}
Ganas signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 1973. He was cut on August 6, 1973.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune/171594061/ | title=Marshall is Vikings' best in his quiet way | work=Star Tribune | date=August 7, 1973 | accessdate=3 May 2025 | author=Batson, Larry}}
Ganas was signed by the Philadelphia Bell of the upstart World Football League in 1974. He left the team voluntarily on June 9, 1974.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/gloucester-county-times/171594555/ | title=400 Watch Bell Make Contact at Glassboro | work=Gloucester County Times | date=June 10, 1974 | accessdate=3 May 2025 | pages=15}}
Coaching career
Ganas began his teaching and coaching career as an assistant varsity football and baseball coach at Bacon County High School. He became the defensive coordinator and head baseball coach at Coffee High School in 1974. He quit baseball in 1977 to became Coffee's head girls' basketball coach. Ganas became the defensive coordinator and head baseball coach at Waycross High School in 1979. He helped Waycross win the football state title in 1981. In 1986, Ganas was named the head football coach and athletic director at his alma mater, Ware County High School. He lost the head coaching job in 1993 when Ware County High and Waycross merged but stayed on as Ware County's athletic director until 2008.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ganas, Rusty}}
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:South Carolina Gamecocks football players
Category:Baltimore Colts players
Category:Minnesota Vikings players
Category:Philadelphia Bell players
Category:Players of American football from Waycross, Georgia
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:High school football coaches in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:High school baseball coaches in the United States
Category:High school basketball coaches in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Coaches of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Baseball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Basketball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:High school athletic directors in the United States