Inductees

“I graduated from the Pottstown public schools in 1945, where I participated in sports. Here the foundation of my coaching career was established by my association with coaches William McCabe and Edward Y. Good.”I joined the Navy V- 5 program and after my discharge I entered the University of Maryland where I became a member of the football team under the tutelage of Clark Shaughnessy. “Upon transferring to West Chester State College I was a pupil of coach Glenn Killinger. These individuals laid the foundation for my coaching philosophy. Plus, being encouraged by family and friends, and being blessed with many fine young athletes from Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School I have been able to accumulate a total of 565 District One basketball wins in my 33 year career.” Scholastic basketball coach, 36 years; wins total is the highest in District 1 and ranks 2nd in state; teams won State title, 1963; 2 Eastern PA titles and 4 District 1 titles; coached football, 30 years; played and captained Pottstown HS. baseball and basketball teams, 3 years. Inducted into the Pottstown and Philadelphia Chapters.

Top ranked NBA official. Worked 2,712 season and play-off games. Lettered in football, basketball, baseball at Pottstown High School. Played basketball and baseball for the U.S. Coast Guard ‘Iraining Station, Groton, Connecticut. Began refereeing basketball at the High School and Independent level in 1950. Was scouted and hired by the N.B.A. in 1958 by Jocko Collins, Supervisor of Referees. Started refereeing in the 1958 season and left the N.B.A. in 1969. Worked 3 seasons in the A.B.A. and returned to the N.B.A. in 1972. The 1987 Season was his 29th in professional basketball. A Pottstown Chapter Inductee.

Harrisburg, PA Native. Served as head USA Women’s Track Coach for 2 Olympiads, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964; Assistant in 1980; Consultant in 1984. Head Coach 1958-1959 in USA vs. USSR competition; 1959 and 1975 Pan American Games; 1970 European Tour; 1975 USA vs. China; USA Junior Team 1982-1986 Pan-American junior Games and 1st. World Junior Championships, Athens, Greece, 1986. Football, basketball, track athlete at John Harris High. 40 Members of his “Tigerbe/les” won 13 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze Olympic medals for the USA. 38 are college graduates. 20 year member of USA Olympic Committee. Member of International Track-Field Committee, Head Women’s Track Coach and Associate Professor for 37 years at Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee. “Wilma Rudolph’s Coach.” Capital Area Chapter Inductee.

One of the most versatile athletes in Palmyra history, became an outstanding center and linebacker for the Gettysburg College football team. He continued his career in the Marines and played linebacker for the Baltimore Colts in 1962 and the New YorkJets in 1963. From 1968 to 1975, he was football coach at Middletown High, where his teams had a fantastic 71-13-2 record that included five Capital Area Conference Championships and three undefeated seasons. As a player, chosen to All State Collegiate and Scholastic teams; first team selection Armed Forces and Marine Corps teams; Recipient of Beechum Award. Capital Area Chapter Inductee.

Rudolph began his career as a professional basketball official in the late 1940’s and went on to referee 2,113 games in a 23-year period. He was hired by the NBA in 1953. In 1973 he became the first official in NBA history to work 1,500 games. By 1975 Rudolph became the first official to work 2,000 games. Rudolph retired to become an expert commentator for the CBS Game of the Week. He died in 1979.

Constance Applebee is best known as having introduced field hockey to the United States. She was co-founder of the American Field Hockey Association and was the athletic director at Bryn Mawr College for 24 years. In the autumn 0f 1901 she embarked on a tour of women’s colleges in Northeastern United States introducing Field Hockey and giving coaching instructions. In September Applebee established an annual three-week camp for Intensive field hockey instruction at Mount Pocono. PA On the camp of Tegawitha. The camp was in business For more than 70 years. She died in 1981 at the age of 107.

John Quinn was a pitcher that played for eight teams in three major leagues ( American, Federal, and National), most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931 and won the World Series in 1929 and 1930.
He got his start in professional baseball in a strange way. As a fourteen year old, he was watching a semi-pro game in Connellsville from the stands and caught a foul ball, he threw it back to the catcher, hitting his mitt right in the middle. The visiting manager from nearby Dunbar was so impressed He offered John a contract. He spent 12 years in the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 1909. Quinn made his final major league appearance with the Cincinnati Reds in 1933 at the age of 50.

John Breslin graduated from Mt Carmel High School and Bucknell University. He played football and ran track in high school and ran track for four years at Bucknell. His desire to teach and coach got a big break in 1934 when he began a 39- year stint as track and cross country Coach at Mt Carmel High school. Always trying to elevate the sport; he organized the Susquehanna Cross Country
Conference, the Southern Division Track League and the Mt Carmel Relayd`now the Jerry Breslin Relays). As an official he was active from 1934 to 1971 in football.

Paul Boltz was President Emeritus of The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, having served as its president from 1975-1979 and again from 1981-1985. He was inducted into The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 for his lifelong achievements in athletic administration and management.

Paul touched the lives of countless military athletes and recreational professionals who have participated in over 150 Army and Armed forces events as well as Army Leadership Conferences which he organized.

He pioneered the inception and development of women’s sports at the Army and Armed Forces levels, hosting the first Army and Armed Forces Championships in both Women’s Basketball and Women’s Softball at Fort Indiantown Gap.

With more than 60 years behind him as a player, coach, and administrator, Fiore was an all-sport standout at Old Forge High and later East Stroudsburg University. He coached football and basketball teams at Old Forge before moving to Scranton Tech. He was West Scranton High’s first football coach and later served at West Scranton’s St. Patrick High. He also served at the University of Scranton. A top-rated football and basketball official for many years, he served as president of various chapters of both groups. He was Commissioner of the Big 11 football conference and was named to the University of Scranton’s Wall of Fame. Fiore was honored for 50 years of service with the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials.

John was a three sports standout at Dickson City High and attended George Washington University where he played football, basketball and baseball, Following a three- year stint in the US Marines in
World War II, he was a 1945 draft choice of the Washington Redskins and played in 1945 and 1946 to 1948.

Mike Lucci spent one year at Pitt and three at the University of Tennessee working between the lines as a middle Linebacker. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1961 and played there for 3 seasons. In 1965 he was traded to the New York Giants then, in the same deal, the Giants traded him and two others to the Detroit for Quarterback Earl Morrall. Lucci coverage abilities earned him a total of 21 career interceptions, returning four of these for touchdowns, with Detroit. He was voted by the players the Lions’ Defensive Most Valuable Player from 1969-1971. Lucci was also All-NFL in 1969, NFC All-Conference in 1970-1971 and named to the Pro Bowl in 1969. He retired following the 1963 season and worked as the color analyst on radio for the Lions from 1976 to 1978.

About This Inductee:

• Swoyersville High School-All-State football
• Washington and Lee University-All-American, played in Gator Bowl
• 1951 second round draft pick of NFL’s Cleveland Browns
• In 10 year career, won 5 division titles and 2 National championships
• Four-time All-Pro linebacker
• Head coach of USFL New Jersey Generals 2 years
• Head coach of NFL’s New York Jets 7 years
• Also coached Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders and a Super Bowl
• Inducted into PA Sports Hall of Fame in 1986

Walt began his football career at Swoyersville. From there he went on to star at Washington and Lee University. He went on to play for the Cleveland Browns where he helped to win five division titles and two national championships. The Browns selected Walt in the seventh round of the 1951 NFL draft where he became a four time all pro linebacker. He was voted into the Wyoming Valley Hall of Fame and was Head Coach of the USFL New Jersey Generals.

Joe stellar play at fullback and linebacker at VMI earned him All-American honors and the Eagles number one draft choice and second overall pick in the 1943 NFL draft. His entry into the NFL was delayed while he served with the U.S. Marine Corps Fifth Division as a First Lieutenant fighting at Iwo Jima, receiving a battlefield promotion, and assignment to the occupying forces in Japan. Returning to the NFL, he was known as “Joltin Joe” because of the impact of his blocks. As a wide-ranging linebacker and the lead blocker for Steve Van Buren and Josh Pritchard, he was often the forgotten man in the Eagles backfield yet was All-Pro in 1948. When they went to two platoon football in 1950 he was again All-Pro in “50 as a linebacker. He could easily have been the Eagles first “60 Minute Man” as he was often call on to do the punting and place kicking. He held the record as the Eagles all-time leader in punting average until 2013. The post-World War Eagles were a powerful amalgam of talent and the team most often looked to Joe Muha for inspiration and guidance. He was the unspoken pillar of strength for the squad that played for each other with an unsurpassed team loyalty. He designed the rings for their two consecutive NFL titles. When new ownership failed to deliver, Joe walked away on his own accord after the 1950 season. He returned to USC to pursue an advance degree and worked as an assistant at USC and later spent a year coaching the Chicago Cardinals. He made a full- time commitment to be a college professor and spent 15 years as an on-field official in the NFL.

Joe Paparella worked minor league baseball from 1933 to 1945. In 1946 he got the call to move up
to Major League Baseball’s American League. He worked in the American League from 1946 to 1965
and during his twenty-year career worked 3,142 games, four World Series and four All-Star games.

Sawyer was a minor league outfielder in his playing days and a rarity among baseball people of his era. Eddie had earned an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and a master’s degree in biology and physiology from Cornell. He later taught biology in the off-season. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees and worked his way up to a player-manager position with the Amsterdam Rugmakers in the Class C Canadian-American League. Sawyer led the Rugmakers to a first- place finish and batted .369 with 103 runs batted in. In 1944 he left the Yankees for the Phillies and in 1948, while managing their top farm club the Toronto Maple Leafs, he got promoted to replace Philadelphia’s manager Ben Chapman. Concurrently, the Phillies were being transfused with young blood and Sawyer was an ideal choice to blend the youngsters with the veterans into a cohesive unit. In 1949, the Phillies enjoyed their first winning season since 1932. The rejuvenated Phillies charged into 1950 and didn’t stop until they won the National league pennant, their first since 1915. However, they were no match for the Yankees in the 1950 World Series. 1950 was Sawyer’s last winning season and after several hires and fires he resigned at the start of the 1960 season and remained in the game as a scout. His final record was 390 wins and 423 Losses.

Jack played tackle at Waynesburg College and appeared in the first televised game in U. S. history against Fordham at Randall’s Island, New York. He took a break from football, after graduation,
to serve in the Army during World War II, rising to the rank of captain. He came home from the services to play football for the Pittsburgh Steelers and coaches Jock Sutherland and John Michelosen from 1946 to 1950.
He left the Steelers in 1951 to take the head coaching job at his alma mater Waynesburg College (now Waynesburg University). After a four-year record of 22-9-1 at Waynesburg he left to become an assistant at Pitt, where he is credited with his two star recruits Mike Ditka and Marty Schottenheimer. He left coaching in 1961 to take a sales position.

Twenty-five (25) years as Major League Umpire. supervisor of American League Umpires. Worked 3
League Championships, 5 World Series, and 4 All-Star games. Tabbed "Umpires umpire" by co-workers.
Began umpiring in 1947 Pony League and advanced through Canadian-American, Eastern, international, and Majors in 1954. Well-known popular speaker on nationwide banquet circuit.

Over 50 years at Villanova. During 25 years varsity basketball coach, won 405, lost 189, 2 of his teams
made NIT, 4 made NCAA play-offs. Coached Paul Arizin, Larry Hennessy, George Raveling and Bob
Shafer. Helms Foundation, Villanova Hall of Fame, Delaware County Chapter Pa. Sports Hall of Fame.

Ursinus College, played all sports, All-American football tackle. Slippery Rock University 1920-1980,
"Knute Rockne" of small college football. Coaching record: 4 undefeated seasons-1924, 1933, 1939,
1945; 126 wins, 58 losses, 11 ties. Coached basketball and baseball, served on Board of Trustees. N. Kerr Thompson Memorial Endowment Fund of $100,000 established in 1969, perpetual existence.

Lettered 3 years at Scott High School. University of Maryland 1950-53. All-American Quarterback,
All-American Academic, National Championship and Orange Bowl in 1953. Sugar Bowl 1952. First draft
choice of 49'ers, 12 years pro football Canadian League; Edmonton, won Grey Cup 1954, Hamilton
1957, won Grey Cub 1957, 61, and 63, Montreal 1965-66, Columbia Lions 1967. Statistics: 1493
completed passes, 2876 attempts, 153 touchdowns, 23,264 years.

Starred at quarterback Wilkinsburg High School. Manhattan College outstanding running back, AII-
American recognition. Backfield coach Brown University 1951-54, University of Pittsburgh 1955-60, Head Coach University of Massachusetts 1961-70. Record: 59-27-1; 47-7-1 Conference, teams won 5 Yankee Conference titles-undefeated team 1963, Tangerine Bowl 1964, UPI Coach of the Year 1965, New England Coach of the Year 1964.

Ten varsity letters Turtle Creek H.S. 1943-46. Offensive and defensive end Notre Dame 1946-49, team
undefeated 4 years, co-captain 1949, All-American 1947-48-49, AP Athlete of the Year 1949, Heisman
Trophy 1949, Maxwell Trophy 1949, All-Pro offense and defense Detroit Lions 1951, National Football Hall of Fame 1973.

A native of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Hunter was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948. He was sold to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952 after leading the Texas league in fielding and stolen bases. He was the last shortstop for the Browns and the first shortstop for the modern Baltimore Orioles when the Brownies moved in 1954. However, he was a reserve infielder for the remainder of his career for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Cleveland Indians. In his six-year major league career, he batted .219, with 16 home runs and 144 RBI’s in 630 games When Hunter’s playing career was over he scouted for a few years and then became the third base coach for the Orioles for almost 14 seasons; four American League Championships and two World Series. He ended his baseball career as manager of the Texas Rangers

Pittsburgh Pirate second baseman from 1956-1972. Had over 2,000 major league hits, established records, Major League Player of the Year 1960, won 1960 World Series with dramatic home run, named to All-star game 6 years, 7 years top fielder in National League.