Pete Wysocki
Peter Joseph Wysocki (October 3, 1948 – June 14, 2003) was an American football linebacker who played his entire six-year career with the Washington Redskins from 1975 to 1980 in the National Football League (NFL). Wysocki previously played four seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
No. 50 | |
Born: | Detroit, Michigan | October 3, 1948
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Died: | June 14, 2003 54) Vienna, Virginia | (aged
Career information | |
CFL status | American |
Position(s) | LB |
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
Weight | 224 lb (102 kg) |
College | Western Michigan |
High school | Garden City (MI) |
Career history | |
As player | |
1971 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
1972 | Toronto Argonauts |
1973–1974 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
1975–1980 | Washington Redskins |
Career highlights and awards | |
CFL All-Star | 1974 |
Career stats | |
Games played | 88 |
Interceptions | 1 |
Fumble recoveries | 3 |
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Early life
Wysocki was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended Garden City East High School.
College career
Wysocki attended and played college football at Western Michigan University. In 1968, he was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection.[1] He was named to the Western Michigan Broncos football All-Century Team in 2005.[1][2]
Professional career
CFL
After going undrafted, Wysocki played for four seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In his final season with the Roughriders, he was named a CFL All-Star.
NFL
After a successful career in the CFL, Wysocki was signed in 1975 by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was the third CFL player signed by Redskins head coach George Allen, the other two being Joe Theismann and Moses Denson.[3] Wysocki played his entire six-year NFL career with the Redskins. In 88 games, he recovered three fumbles and intercepted one pass. Pete was a force on the special teams and was called "The Missile."
After football
After retiring from football, Wysocki became an advertising salesman for WMAL.[4] He then became a successful real estate broker in Washington, D.C.. He also worked at Transwestern as Vice President of Office Leasing.[4] During his tenure at Transwestern, Wysocki was recognized by the Washington Association of Realtors for the Commercial Transaction of the Year in 1988 and won the Top Producer award from the Washington Area Commercial Brokers Council in 1991.[4]
Personal life
Wysocki was married twice. In 1999, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. After intensive chemotherapy, he became a public speaker regarding his illness, and spoke at Leukemia Society functions and similar organizations to help raise money for research. He died in 2003 in Vienna, Virginia.
References
- "Remembering WMU Great Pete Wysocki for Greatest Washington Redskins". Western Michigan University. July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
- "WMU All-Century Football Team Announced". Western Michigan University. July 12, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2005-11-12.
- "10 For 80: Pete Wysocki". Washington Redskins. May 14, 2012. Retrieved 2005-11-12.
- Estrada, Louie (June 16, 2003). "Redskins' Pete Wysocki Dies". The Washington Post.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Pete Wysocki at Find a Grave
- Wysocki Tackles His Most Formidable Foe, San Francisco Chronicle