Leo Joseph Wisniewski (born November 6, 1959) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player whose position was nose tackle. Wisniewski played professionally in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

from 1982 to 1984 for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

over the course of 36 games.

Early years

After going to high school at

Fox Chapel Area High School Fox Chapel Area High School (Established in 1961) is a public school located in the Pittsburgh suburb of O'Hara Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was recognized and honored as a National Blue Ribbon School twice. The ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, Wisniewski attended

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

where he played nose tackle. Over his four years at Penn State he recorded 102

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...

and 11 QB sacks. Leo has been a high school assistant coach in the Pittsburgh PA area for several years, coaching son Stefan at Pittsburgh Central Catholic before his departure for Penn State. In 2013, Leo was a member of the Canon-McMillah High School coaching staff, assisting former Penn State teammate Ron Coder in his first year as a high school head coach.

Professional career

Wisniewski was drafted in the second round (28th overall pick) in the

1982 NFL Draft The 1982 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982, at the New York She ...

by the Baltimore Colts. In 1982, Wisniewski spent the first two games of the strike shortened season on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

, but started at nose tackle the final seven. He was credited with 52 total tackles (32 solo) and 2.5 QB sacks. In 1983, Wisniewski played in 15 games ( started 14) and made 95 total tackles (50 solo) and 5.0 QB sacks. He missed the game against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

(September 25, 1983) with a strained knee. In 1984, his final year, Wisniewski started in 14 of the 16 games, but missed the final two games on the injured reserve with a knee injury. He made 88 total tackles (51 solo) and 7.0 QB sacks.''Indianapolis Colts 1985 Media Guide'', pages 69–70.

Personal

Leo's brother

Steve Wisniewski Steve Wisniewski (born April 7, 1967), nicknamed "the Wiz", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and later serve ...

was a two-time All-American at Penn State as an

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

, and an 8-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

er with the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. Leo's son Stefen is currently a

Guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

References

1959 births Living people People from Hancock, Michigan People from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania American football defensive tackles Penn State Nittany Lions football players Baltimore Colts players Indianapolis Colts players {{defensive-lineman-1950s-stub