Sitko, Emil M. ("Red")
Football
b. Sept. 7, 1923, Ft. Wayne, IN
d. Dec. 15, 1973
Nicknamed "Six-Yard Sitko" by sportswriters because he averaged 6.1 yards per carry during his career at Notre Dame, Sitko played for such talent-laden teams that he didn't carry the ball as often as he would have at another school.
A consensus All-American halfback in 1949, the 5-foot-8, 183-pounder gained 2,226 yards on 363 carries during his four seasons at Notre Dame, scoring 26 touchdowns.
Sitko was a 26-year-old senior that season because he had spent four years in the service during World War II.
He played for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in 1950 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1951 and 1952 before retiring. As a professional, he carried the ball 142 times for 638 yards, a 4.5 average, and 2 touchdowns. He also caught 9 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown.