Paul Governali
American football player and coach (1921–1978)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Vincent Governali (January 5, 1921 – February 14, 1978), nicknamed "Pitchin' Paul", was an American professional football player and coach. He played college football for the Columbia Lions.
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
San Diego, California, U.S.
Governali, c. 1947 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | January 5, 1921 The Bronx, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | February 14, 1978 (aged 57) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Evander Childs (Bronx, New York) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Columbia (1940–1942) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1943: 1st round, 4th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||
| Career | 11–27–4 (.310) | ||||||||||||||
College career
Governali played as a halfback for the Columbia Lions. He was a consensus All-American in 1942, won the Maxwell Award and was runner-up to Frank Sinkwich for the Heisman Trophy. Governali passed for 1,442 yards in nine games that season, threw for 19 touchdowns, and completed 52% of his passes, all new collegiate records. He was also among the leading punters in the nation. He still holds the Columbia Lions record for touchdown passes in one game, with five. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Professional career
Upon graduating in 1943, he passed up offers from both professional baseball and football teams to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, where he served for three years. After the war, he played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1948 with the Boston Yanks and the New York Giants.
After football
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Governali retired from playing following the 1948 season and returned to Columbia, where he worked as an assistant coach while pursuing his doctorate in education, which he received in 1951.
Head coaching career
He served as the head football coach at San Diego State University from 1956 to 1960, compiling a record of 11–27–4. He was succeeded as head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs by Don Coryell.
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State Aztecs (California Collegiate Athletic Association) (1956–1960) | |||||||||
| 1956 | San Diego State | 4–3–2 | 2–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1957 | San Diego State | 2–7 | 0–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1958 | San Diego State | 3–5 | 2–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1959 | San Diego State | 1–6–1 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1960 | San Diego State | 1–6–1 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| San Diego State: | 11–27–4 | 4–15 | |||||||
| Total: | 11–27–4 | ||||||||
Personal life
Governali also had a minor stint as an actor, portraying a professional football player in the 1948 film titled, Triple Threat.[1]
He and his wife, Edna, had four children: Paul, Jeannie, Nicole, and Sam.
