Mike Lucci
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Michael Gene Lucci (December 29, 1939 – October 26, 2021) was an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
who played for 12 seasons in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played for the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
for three seasons from 1962 to 1964 and nine seasons with the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
from 1965 to 1973. Lucci played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
before transferring to
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
.


Early life and college

Lucci was born into an
Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...
family on December 29, 1939, in
Ambridge, Pennsylvania Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Incorporated in 1905 as a company town by the American Bridge Company, Ambridge is located 16 miles (25 km) northwest of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River. The population ...
, near the steel mills of
western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
. He only played football for the first time as a high school senior, at tackle. Lucci earned a football scholarship to the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
, and later transferred for his final three years to the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
. Lucci played
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
and linebacker at Tennessee. Over two consecutive seasons, he ran back interceptions for touchdowns against the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
. He was named an
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
in 1961, and played in the
College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. He also played in the
Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
in January of 1962. He was named to the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
(SEC) All-Star Team in 1960 and 1961, being named first team All-SEC by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
(AP) at center in 1961. Lucci received honorable mention on both the 1961
United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
(UPI) All-America Team and 1961 AP All-American Team. He was also elected team captain in 1961.


Playing career

Lucci was a fifth round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1962 (69th overall). He played for the Browns from 1962 to 1964. He was named to the 1962 NFL All-Rookie Team, and was on the Browns' 1964 NFL Championship team. Lucci joined the Lions as a result of a three-team transaction on August 30, 1965. He, along with a draft pick, were first sent by the Browns to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
for all-pro cornerback Erich Barnes. Then the Giants traded him, guard
Darrell Dess Darrell Charles Dess (born July 11, 1935) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Washington Redskins. Dess was ...
and a draft pick to the Lions for quarterback
Earl Morrall Earl Edwin Morrall (; May 17, 1934 – April 25, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He was the last remaining player from t ...
. Lucci would be with the Lions from 1965 to 1973. He was a 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 230-pound (104.3 kg) linebacker, playing principally at middle linebacker for the Lions, known for his ability to play through injury. Lucci's defensive coverage abilities earned him a total of 21 career
interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s in 117 games with the Lions. He returned four of those interceptions for
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. Lucci was the Lions' team captain in six seasons, and was voted by his teammates the Lions' Defensive Most Valuable Player from 1969 to 1971. In addition, in
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
, he was named second team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
and
United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
(UPI). The UPI named him second team All-Conference in 1970 and 1971, and ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' named him first team All-Conference in 1971. Lucci was named to the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
following the 1971 season during which he intercepted five passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns. On another Lucci interception and return, in an August 1971 exhibition game in Florida, Jets quarterback
Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943), nicknamed "Broadway Joe", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seaso ...
injured his knee attempting to tackle Lucci. Namath has said that injury began the downturn in his career, as witnessed by the number of games missed after that nearly season long injury, and the few games missed before the injury. Ironically, Lucci and Namath ( Beaver Falls) are both from
Beaver County, Pennsylvania Beaver County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,215. Its county seat is Beaver, and its largest city is Aliquippa. The county is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region of the commonw ...
. Both are members of the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. In the January
1972 Pro Bowl The 1972 Pro Bowl was the NFL's 22nd annual all-star game which featured the outstanding performers from the 1971 season. The game was played on January 23, 1972, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The final score was ...
game, Lucci deflected a field goal attempt by future hall of fame kicker, and NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team member,
Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud (, ; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs ...
. He retired before the 1974 season, having played 154 regular season games over 12 years.


Honors

In addition to the honors and awards listed above, Lucci has received the following awards and honors, among others; * Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2004) * Inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1986) * Inducted into the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame (1995) * Inducted into the Beaver County, Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1979) * Inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Hall of Fame (1985) * Inducted into the Pennsylvania Italian American Hall of Fame * Ricky Sandoval Award, presented by Detroit Lions for contributions in sports and the community (2017)


Media career

Lucci appeared as himself in the 1968 film '' Paper Lion'', and as the hitman "Fast Eddie" in the 1973 film ''
Detroit 9000 ''Detroit 9000'' is a 1973 American action film directed by Arthur Marks from a screenplay by Orville H. Hampton. Originally marketed as a blaxploitation film, it had a resurgence on video 25 years later. Plot Street-smart white detective Dann ...
''. He also appeared in commercials for
Alitalia Alitalia - Società Aerea Italiana S.p.A., operating as Alitalia (), was an Italian airline which was once the flag carrier and largest airline of Italy. The company had its head office in Fiumicino, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. ...
Airlines. From 1976 to 1978 Lucci served as a
color analyst A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
for Lions broadcasts on WJR radio. In 1979, he was a part-time NFL analyst for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
television.


Business career and charities

After retiring from the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
Lucci was a successful business executive and entrepreneur. He first entered business as a vice president and national physical fitness director for the
Vic Tanny Victor "Vic" Tanny (born Victor A. Iannidinardo; February 18, 1912 – June 11, 1985) was an American bodybuilder, entrepreneur and physical culture advocate. He is considered a pioneer of the modern health club. Biography Tanny was born i ...
chain of health spas. He was the former president of Bally's which at the time was the largest commercial operator of fitness centers in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. He co-owned 19 Burger Kings, and Venture Contracting and Development based in
Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Troy is located about north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 87,294, ...
. Among other charitable endeavors, Lucci raised over $2 million for Spaulding for Children's, seeking permanent homes for hard-to-place children, and he established an education endowment fund for these children. He raised $650,000 for Gridiron Greats by hosting a golf tournament, to help former NFL players in financial need.


Death

Lucci divided his time between homes in
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
and
Palm Beach County, Florida Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida, Broward County ...
. He died in Florida following an extended illness on October 26, 2021, at the age of 81.Lions Legend Mike Lucci passes away at age 81
/ref> At the time of his death, he had been married for 58 years to Patricia Lucci, with whom he had two children, and two grandchildren.


References


External links


Bally Total Fitness
Official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucci, Mike 1939 births 2021 deaths American football linebackers Cleveland Browns players Detroit Lions announcers Detroit Lions players National Conference Pro Bowl players NFL announcers Sportspeople from Ambridge, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Beaver County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Panthers football players Tennessee Volunteers football players