Nomellini, Leo
Football
b. June 19, 1924, Lucca, Italy
d. Oct. 17, 2000
Nomellini's family came to the United States and settled in Chicago when he was an infant. He worked in a foundry while going to a high school and didn't play football until he joined the Marines in 1942 and was recruited for the Cherry Point, NC, base team.
After serving in the South Pacific during World War II, Nomellini was given a football scholarship at the University of Minnesota. As a freshman in 1946, Nomellini was a starting guard. He was moved to tackle in his sophomore season and was named an All-American in 1948 and 1949.
The 6-foot-3, 284-pound Nomellini was the San Francisco 49ers' first draft choice in 1950. He played offensive tackle for his first three professional seasons and was an All-Pro in 1951 and 1952, then moved to defensive tackle and was named to the All-Pro team at that position in 1953, 1954, 1957, and 1959.
Nomellini retired after the 1963 season. In 14 years as a professional, he never missed a game.