Sigmond Francis "Ziggy" Andrusking (January 18, 1913 – August 17, 1994) 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 ...

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 gu ...

who played one season with the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...

of 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

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 the

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catho ...

Early life and college

Sigmond Francis Andrusking was born on January 18, 1913, in

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...

. He attended East High School in Erie and graduated in 1932. Andrusking was a member of the

Detroit Titans The Detroit Mercy Titans (formerly known as the Detroit Titans) are the athletic teams of University of Detroit Mercy. The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The school primarily competes in ...

of the

from 1932 from 1935 and a three-year

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

from 1933 to 1935.

Professional career

Andrusking signed 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 ...

in 1936 after going undrafted in the

1936 NFL draft The 1936 NFL draft was the first draft of National Football League (NFL). It took place on February 8, 1936, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The draft was instituted in an effort to end bidding wars among the league's t ...

. On September 23, 1936, it was reported that Andrusking had been cut by the Lions and ordered to report to the Lions'

farm team In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a Team sport, team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any s ...

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in southwestern Ohio along the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about west of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and northeast of ...

. Andrusking then signed with the

Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to ...

of the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...

(AFL). He played in all nine games, starting seven, during the team's inaugural 1936 season as the Rams went 5–2–2. Andrusking was signed by the

of the

in 1937. He appeared in seven games, starting one, for the Dodgers that year before being released. Andrusking then signed with

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

of the AFL and played in one game for them during the 1937 season. Andrusking appeared in ten games, starting three, for the independent

Wilmington Clippers The Wilmington Clippers were a professional American football team that played from 1937 to 1942, and from 1946 to 1949. They played in the American Association from 1939 to 1941, later returning for the 1946 to 1949 seasons when the league wa ...

in 1938. In 1939, the Clippers joined the American Association. Andrusking started all 13 games for Wilmington during the 1939 season as the team finished with a 9–3–1 record. He started all ten games for the Clippers in 1940 as well and the team went 5–4–1. On December 15, 1940, the Clippers lost in the league title game to the Jersey Giants. Andrusking then served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was relieved from duty in early December 1941 and then started two games for the Clippers during the 1941 season, before being called back to the Army. After his stint in the Army ended, he returned to the Clippers in 1946 and played in three games that year. He left the team in October 1946, later stating that he "couldn't do anything. I was rusty and too old."

Personal life

Andrusking had a 27-year career as a freight conductor before retiring in the 1970s. In 1983, it was reported that Andrusking had been living in the same apartment in Wilmington since 1945. He died on August 17, 1994, in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrusking, Sig 1913 births 1994 deaths American football guards Detroit Titans football players Detroit Lions players Cleveland Rams players Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players New York Yankees (1936 AFL) players Wilmington Clippers players American Association (American football) players Players of American football from Erie, Pennsylvania United States Army personnel of World War II