JOE MARCONI

Fredericktown, PA
West Virginia University

A native of Fredericktown, Mr. Marconi was a powerful running back who enjoyed a long, successful career in the NFL.

He ranks high on the list of great West Virginia University foot-ball players.

Mr. Marconi was the No. 1 draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1956.

He rushed for 298 yards and seven touchdowns during his rookie season. The following season he rushed 104 times for a career-best 481 yards and scored three TDs.

After totaling 1,769 yards and 21 TDs for the Rams, Mr. Mar-coni was traded to the Chicago Bears before the 1962 season.

He played five seasons with the Bears, with his best year as a professional coming in 1963 when he rushed for 446 yards and two touchdowns while helping Chicago to the NFL title. For his efforts, he was selected to play in the 1964 Pro Bowl – the crowning achievement in his 11-year professional career.

He played two more years in 1965 and 1966, but injuries and age kept him out of a lot of the action. He rushed for 2,771 ca-reer yards and caught 136 passes for 1,326 yards while ac-counting for 39 total TDs in the NFL.

At WVU, Mr. Marconi rushed for 998 career yards on 181 car-ries. He also scored 18 TDs.

He was a member of the 1954 Sugar Bowl team. Mr. Marconi an All-Southern Conference back, helped WVU to a 31-7 rec-ord during his four years, including a 30-game winning streak in the Southern Conference.

He was selected to play in the College Football All-Star Game and the Blue-Gray Game after his senior year.