George Nicksich
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Monessen, Pennsylvania
Monessen, Pennsylvania
 George Nicksich, 1957 | |||||
| Profile | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Middle guard, linebacker, guard | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | May 5, 1928 Monessen, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Died | January 17, 1985 (aged 56) Monessen, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Monessen (PA) | ||||
| College | St. Bonaventure | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career statistics | |||||
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George "Jook" Nicksich (May 5, 1928 – January 17, 1985) was an American football player who played the middle guard, linebacker, and guard positions.
A native of Monessen, Pennsylvania, he played college football for St. Bonaventure.[1]
He then played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1950 season. He appeared in a total of 12 NFL games, all of them as a starter. He intercepted three passes for 31 yards.[1] He was named rookie defensive lineman of the year in 1950, but he suffered a knee injury that ended his playing career.[2][3]
After his football career ended, Nicksich operated a tavern in Monessen, Pennsylvania. The building was demolished in an urban renewal project, and he became a guard at the county jail in Monessen. Shortly after leaving his job as a guard at the jail, he was arrested in April 1968 for an alleged unarmed bank robbery. He handed a teller a note that said, "This is a stickup. Put the money in the bag and be quiet." He was given a bag with $5,890 and was arrested shortly after leaving the bank.[4][5] After a psychological evaluation, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial in June 1968.[6]
Nicksich died of liver failure in 1985 at Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.[2]