Sisto Joseph "Joe" Averno (May 12, 1925 – March 26, 2012) was an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
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 ...
and
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 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) for the original Baltimore Colts (1950) and the franchises which succeeded it, including the
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
Season-by-season overview 1949
The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's m ...
(1951), Dallas Texans (1952), and the second iteration of the
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey."News from Our Boys: Gets Rating," ''The Morning Call'' aterson, NJ Nov. 8, 1943, p. 26.
He attended Central High School in Paterson, where he played football, where he earned three letters as a tackle for the Central High Colts.''1950 Baltimore Colts: Press, Radio, Television Guide.'' Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Colts, 1950; p. 27. During his 1942 senior season he received honorable mention for the New Jersey All-State football team.
With America embroiled in
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 ...
, Averno enlisted in the U.S. Navy in April 1943, eventually serving a three year term of duty. Averno was sent to the Service School at
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...
, where he was promoted to gunner's mate, third class, and given more advanced training.
He was stationed in California and trained with the amphibious forces for the Pacific theater. While in the military he played for the 1944 Fleet City Bluejackets football team.
During 15 months of sea duty aboard small craft, Averno collected two theater medals, a Philippine liberation medal, and several
battle star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...
s.
College career
In 1946 Averno enrolled at
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German pat ...
, a small
liberal arts
Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...
college in
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...
. He played football at Muhlenberg for four years at the tackle and
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 ...
positions, earning the accolades of his coach, Howard Baughman.
Averno and the
Muhlenberg Mules
The Muhlenberg Mules are the collegiate athletic teams of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The college competes in NCAA Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Muhlenberg has 22 intercollegiate sports, i ...
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
, with Averno starting a left tackle with a listed height of 5'11" and weight of 215 pounds. Averno later regarded this 28–25 victory as among his greatest thrills of college football.
Averno was plagued by injuries during his college years, including a significant knee injury in 1946 and a leg injury in 1948 that required hospitalization. Averno had one surgery during his college years associated with these injuries, for repair of torn
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
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) as an undrafted free agent in 1950.
The 1950 season was the last for the original Colts franchise for financial reasons. The team's players were distributed throughout the league by reentry into the 1951 NFL draft, with Averno among them. On January 19, Averno was selected by 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 ...
with the final pick of 30th and last round of the 1951 draft. He was quick to sign with the Browns, inking a contract early in February. He would play one exhibition game for the Browns against the College All-Stars in Chicago that August before being traded to the
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
Season-by-season overview 1949
The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's m ...
for a future draft pick.
Even his short association with the
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
and NFL champion
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American American football, football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the National Football League (NFL), and the American Football League (AFL). ...
of the Browns was illuminating, and Averno considered him the best coach he had worked with to date. "He has a good system... a ratings percentage for each player based on the successes totaled in the various plays of a game. In this way, a book is kept on every player and each week he is shown how effective or ineffective he is."
Averno saw significant time playing with the Yanks in the 1951 season, playing in all 12 games in a reserve and
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
role."Sisto Averno," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com/ That campaign would be the last for the troubled franchise, assets of which were sold to a new ownership group based in Dallas. The new club, initially identifying itself as the Dallas Rebels before deciding upon the moniker "Texans," advanced a contract to Averno for the 1952 season in May, which the lineman deemed satisfactory and signed.
Averno played middle guard — essentially
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...
in a five man defensive front — for the Texans in 1952, starting 11 of the team's 12 games in that position. The team's finances were precarious, however, and following the season its assets were sold to news franchise owners in Baltimore headed by industrialist Carroll Rosenbloom.
Averno would make the move to the new
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
, signing with the team in March for the 1953 season.Jesse A. Linthicum "Colts Sign Draftee and Veteran to 1953 Contracts," ''Baltimore Sun,'' March 7, 1953, p. 13. Averno would start at (defensive) middle guard in all 12 of the team's games of its inaugural season. The Colts finished with a record of 3–9 for the year, exceeding popular expectations and beating the neighboring
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
to boot.
The 1954 season would be Joe Averno's last. The contract for his fifth NFL year was signed by the lineman "built like a block of granite" on schedule in April. But as the new season began, little injuries began to pile up, including an aggravated calf strain. On October 15, after just three games of the season, Averno was released by the Colts, who picked up former Washington Redskin Gene Pepper to fill his roster space. At the age of 29, Averno's professional football career was over.
During his five year professional football career never made more than $9,500 in a season (about $107,000 in 2024 terms), with $4,000 starting pay starting pay as a rookie in 1950.Michael Olesker "The Haunting: Ghosts of NFL Past Refuse to Go Gently Into that Good Night," PressBox Online, September 28, 2006. He was sanguine about this economic reality, telling a friendly journalist early in 1952, "Linemen don't get as much money as the backs. The guards and tackles do the brunt of the work but have to take second place to the fellows who carry the ball. But that's how it is and we have to accept it."
With just a 33-man active roster, Averno had to work hard for his game checks, frequently playing extended minutes in all three phases of team activity — as a member of the
offensive line
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 (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
, a defender in the linebacking corps, and a blocker and tackler on special teams. A physical toll was taken on his body, with coaches unsympathetic to his plight. Averno later recalled: "One time, I separated my shoulder. I told the coach, Clem Crowe. He said, 'Block with the other one.'"
Post-football career
Averno married the former Margaret Meredith of
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
in late 1950. During the off-season while he was an active player, Averno worked in Baltimore as a car salesman.
In his later years, Sisto suffered a stroke, had his knee and a hip replaced, and he also required the use of a walker to get around. These conditions are thought to be linked to injuries he suffered during his playing years. Because of these health conditions, Averno became an advocate for better benefits to retired NFL players.
In 1953, as his career was nearing a close, Averno told a friendly journalist with ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news.
Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'': "It's a tough racket, this pro football, but I love it. That's what makes playing in
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
such a pleasure — it's like a college town. They cheer you whether you win or lose and give you all the encouragement you need.... I like the comradeship and the actual thrill of tackling and blocking in a game. All that makes up for the tough training grind we have to put in each year. That's the worst curse of pro football. The game is great, but oh, the training."
Death
Averno died March 26, 2012, in
Randallstown, Maryland
Randallstown is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-centu ...
, at age 86.
Legacy
Averno's
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 ...