A superstar professional football player and wrestler, Leo Joseph Nomellini was born on June
19, 1924 and attended Chicago Crane Technical High School.  He shined as a college
athlete at the University of Minnesota (1946-'49).  He was drafted in the first round of the
1950 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and played 14 seasons (174 games) as a
defensive tackle.  In 1969, he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, and in 1977, he went
into the College Football Hall of Fame.  He stood 6'3" and weighed around 250-270 pounds.


  Leo Nomellini was a famous University of Minnesota Football Star and San Francisco 49er.  
He served in the Marine Corps and achieved the rank of sergeant.  Promoters lured him into
the ring, ready to seize Nomellini’s size and strength, and he was an immediate superstar in
Northern California.  Later, officials signed him in a match with the World’s Champion, Lou
Thesz, a bout in which he won by disqualification and walked away with the NWA Crown.  
Although it was reversed, Nomellini and that decision would always be remembered.

  The night was Tuesday, March 22, 1955 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.  Nomellini
challenged Thesz.  He shocked the world and made national wires as he beat the champ and
won the championship.  The third fall was captured via disqualification after the first and
second were split.  An estimated 13,000 fans watched referee Mike Mazurki hand over the
title.  Officials of the Alliance decided that the title could not change hands on a
disqualification and the decision was void.  Thesz remained tops.  Nomellini continued to
wrestle and captured numerous championships on the west coast.

  In honoring his football talents, Nomellini was both elected to the National Football League
Hall of Fame in 1969 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.  After retiring from active
competition, Nomellini became a promoter in Northern California and worked with the
American Wrestling Association out of Minnesota.  Nomellini refereed an AWA World Title
match in Minneapolis on February 4, 1988 at the Auditorium between Curt Hennig and Greg
Gagne.  Gagne beat Hennig in a cage match to capture the World Title.  The AWA was
broken into pieces after the match as some promoters recognized the switch and some didn’
t.  It was a controversial situation.

  Nomellini died on October 17, 2000 in San Francisco of a stroke.  News of his passing was
released across the Associated Press wire.









Research by Tim Hornbaker
Leo Nomellini Wrestling History
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