Steve Ferrughelli

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (1949–2016)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox CFL biography

| name = Steve Ferrughelli

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|3|12}}

| birth_place = Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|6|25|1949|3|12}}

| death_place = Rigaud, Quebec, Canada

| team =

| number =

| status =

| import = yes

| position1 = Fullback

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 235

| college = Rutgers

| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1973}}–{{CFL Year|1976}}

| playing_team1 = Montreal Alouettes

| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|1976}}

| playing_team2 = Edmonton Eskimos

| career_highlights =

| CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|1974}}

| awards = 1975 - Grey Cup Most Valuable Player

| honours = 1974 - Grey Cup champion

}}

Stephen Ferrughelli (March 12, 1949 – June 25, 2016) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the Canadian Football League (CFL).[http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/f/ferrughelli_steve.htm CFLAPEDIA entry: Steve Ferrughelli]

A graduate of Rutgers University, Ferrughelli had overcome difficult childhood handicaps (speech and hearing impairments) to earn his education and football scholarship."Games" of childhood prepare Ferrughelli for Fullback role by Ted Blackman, The Montreal Gazette - November 15, 1973 Ferrughelli would have a brief stint in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins before a knee injury led to him being cut. He subsequently moved to the Canadian Football League. He joined Montreal in 1973 but made a huge impact the next season, rushing for 1124 yards, being named an all-star, and winning the Grey Cup. In 1975, he rushed for another 893 yards and was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in a one-point loss to the Edmonton Eskimos. Ferrughelli was caught in an import/Canadian ratio tangle in 1976, when Montreal needed a defensive back and were able to acquire a Canadian first stringer from Edmonton in exchange for him.{{cite web| url = https://www.cfl.ca/2006/11/16/ferrughelli_battled_handicaps_to_star/| title = Ferrughelli battled handicaps to star - CFL.ca}} He was traded to Edmonton, where he finished his career. He had played 43 regular season games for the Als (and 5 for the Esks) and had 2763 total rushing yards.Montreal Alouettes All-Time Roster

Ferughelli later worked in the home-renovation business in Montreal's West Island.[https://archive.today/20120723041234/http://www.cfl.ca/article/ferrughelli_battled_handicaps_to_star Ferrughelli battled handicaps to star] He subsequently moved to Rigaud, where he died on June 25, 2016.{{cite web| url = http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/montrealgazette/obituary.aspx?pid=180494698| title = Stephen FERRUGHELLI Obituary (2016) - Montreal, Quebec - The Gazette}}