21 Facts About Frank Varrichione

Frank Joseph Varrichione was an American professional football player who was a tackle for 11 seasons in the National Football League.

Frank Varrichione would be the first lineman selected in the 1955 NFL draft, the league's sixth pick overall.

Frank Varrichione was born January 14,1932, at Natick, Massachusetts.

Frank Varrichione was the youngest of ten children in a Roman Catholic family.

Large and strong from his early boyhood years, Frank Varrichione took up football as a 9th grade student at Natick High School.

Frank Varrichione graduated early and then was enrolled in a Catholic prep school, St Thomas Aquinas in Rochester, New York, where he attracted the attention of recruiters for the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

Frank Varrichione was a 210-pound Freshman on the 1951 team, slated for immediate use on a depleted offensive line for what was expected to be one of the youngest varsity teams in school history.

Frank Varrichione was made a starter as a Freshman, the only such on the offensive side of the ball for the 1951 Fighting Irish Team.

Frank Varrichione thrived in his defensive role, scoring two points on a safety in an October 1953 game against the Pitt Panthers.

The play helped Frank Varrichione earn national Lineman of the Week honors from the Associated Press.

Frank Varrichione would earn a place in Notre Dame lore as an offensive tackle in helping Notre Dame escape with a tie against the University of Iowa by spontaneously suffering a phantom injury which stopped the clock with no timeouts remaining and time winding down at the end of the first half, helping to enable a critical touchdown.

Frank Varrichione's ability was recognized during his senior season when he was named a Third-team NFA All American for 1954.

Frank Varrichione was selected in the 1st Round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the league's 6th pick overall, and the first offensive lineman chosen.

Frank Varrichione was well suited to the professional game and he was named to the 1955 Pro-Bowl Game, held in January following his rookie season.

Frank Varrichione played in a total of 133 NFL games over the course of his 11-year career.

Frank Varrichione was never made wealthy by the NFL, his top contract with the Rams bringing him just $20,000 per year.

Frank Varrichione was named to five NFL Pro Bowl teams, making the squad in 1955,1957,1958,1960 and 1962.

Frank Varrichione was prepared in measure for life after football by the fact that he had never really made enough playing the game to live even in his prime.

Frank Varrichione retired briefly in 1986 but came back two years later to run a coffee shop with his wife, finally retiring for good in 1992.

In 1995 Frank Varrichione was named to the Boston section of the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Frank Varrichione died on January 6,2018, at the age of 85.