Joe Cichy
American football player (born 1948)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph John Cichy[1] (born May 12, 1948)[2][a] is an American attorney and former gridiron football player. He played college football primarily as a safety for the North Dakota State Bison. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 12, 1948 Fargo, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 194 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Shanley (Fargo, North Dakota) |
| College | North Dakota State (1968–1970) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| 2 × Small College National Champion (1968, 1969) | |
Biography
Cichy attended Shanley High School in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota, where he was quarterback of the football team.[4] He then attended North Dakota State University (NDSU).[2] With the Bison football team, he was a backup quarterback in 1968 then a safety during the 1969 and 1970 seasons.[2] The decision to move Cichy from quarterback to defensive back was made by Bison head coach Ron Erhardt following the loss of multiple defensive players from the 1968 team.[5] The Bison were selected as small college national champions by the Associated Press for 1968 and 1969.[2][b]
Cichy had 53 unassisted tackles during the 1969 season, setting an NDSU record that was not matched for 34 seasons.[6] He was named to the College Division All-America first team as selected by the American Football Coaches Association for 1969,[7] and as selected by the Associated Press for 1970.[8] The Bison posted a record of 29–0–1 during his three seasons, and Cichy had completed his high-school career with a 25-game winning streak, resulting in a span of 55 games without a loss.[2] He served as team captain for the 1970 Bison.[6] In December 1970, Cichy was awarded a $1000 ($8,290 in 2025) post-graduate scholarship, awarded by the NCAA for "exceptional academic and athletic achievement."[9] He graduated from NDSU in 1971 with a major in history and a minor in German.[10]
Following his collegiate career, Cichy was unselected in the 1971 NFL draft, but was briefly with the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason until being released in July 1971.[11] He then returned to his high school, where his father was head football coach, and taught in the physical education department.[12] In May 1973, he was hired by St. Mary's Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota, to a similar role and to serve as head football coach.[12] He coached there until resigning in April 1978 in order to attend law school.[13]
By October 1981, Cichy had obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law[14] and was working for the North Dakota Water Commission as an assistant attorney general.[15] He joined a private law firm in Bismarck in late 1985.[16][17]
Cichy was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.[2] He was inducted to the athletic hall of fame at NDSU in 1981,[6] joining his father, Sid, a 1973 inductee.[18] Joe's brother Nick was also inducted in 1988.[19] Another brother, Steve, played for Notre Dame;[2] Steve's son Jack Cichy played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[20][21] Joe Cichy was inducted to the hall of fame associated with his high school in 2017.[22]
Cichy married Barbara Perry of Bismarck in June 1978.[1] The couple had three daughters.[23][14]
Notes
- The Bison also finished atop the UPI small college football rankings in 1969; they were ranked second by UPI in 1968.