John Vitale (American football)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S.
| No. 67 (Michigan) | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Center, Offensive guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 28, 1965 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | July 9, 2000 (aged 34) Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 273 lb (124 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Michigan) |
| College | Michigan |
| Career history | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
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| Stats at ArenaFan.com | |
John Vitale (December 28, 1965 – July 9, 2000) was an American football player. He played college football as a center and offensive guard for the University of Michigan from 1985 to 1988. He was selected as a consensus All-American center in 1988. He later played professional football for the San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football (WLAF) in 1991 and the Detroit Drive of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 1993 to 1994.
A Detroit native,[1] Vitale was born in 1965 and attended De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, Michigan.[2]
University of Michigan
Vitale enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1984 and played college football for head coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1985 to 1988.[2] After redshirting in 1984, Vitale started nine games at left offensive guard for the 1985 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 10-1-1 record, defeated Nebraska in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl, and finished the season ranked #2 in the AP Poll.[3]
As a sophomore, Vitale was converted to the center position and started all 13 games at that position for the 1986 Michigan team that compiled an 11-2 record and was ranked #8 in the final AP Poll.[4] As a junior, he again started every game at center for the 1987 Michigan team and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player.[5] In his senior year, he started every game for Michigan, completing a streak of 37 consecutive games as Michigan's starting center. He also served as a co-captain of the 1988 Michigan team that compiled a 9-2-1 record, defeated USC 22-14 in the 1989 Rose Bowl, and was ranked #4 in the final AP Poll.[6] At the end of the 1988 season, Vitale was selected as the consensus first-team center on the 1988 College Football All-America Team.[7]
Vitale was also known as a team leader who once showed up with a U-M winged football helmet design shaved into the side of his head. Vitale had a close relationship with his head coach, Bo Schembechler. Sportswriter Mitch Albom wrote about the following exchange between Vitale and Bo Schembechler. "You gonna work us today, Chief?" Vitale would ask. 'I'm gonna kick your butt," Schembechler would say. "Good," Vitale would answer.[8]