1. John Verle Ghindia was an American football player, high school coach, educator, and municipal recreation director.
26 Facts About John Ghindia
1. 2.
John Ghindia appeared in one game at the fullback position in 1948 campaign, before a knee injury ended his season.
3.
John Ghindia was a member of the undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams, both crowned national champions.
4.
At St Pat's, John Ghindia coached football, basketball and baseball for 7 years, winning numerous Catholic League titles, and never losing to arch-rival Wyandotte Our Lady of Mt Carmel.
5.
John Ghindia was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame, Michigan Catholic Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Michigan Tennis Hall of Fame.
6.
John Ghindia served as director of the Ecorse Recreation Department.
7.
John Ghindia's father, John N Ghindia, was a Romanian immigrant who came to the United States in 1915 and worked in various steel mills as a millwright.
8.
John Ghindia attended Ecorse High School, and earned 12 Letters competing in football, basketball, baseball and rowing.
9.
In 1942 John Ghindia led Ecorse High School to a League Championship in football, and his team was State Class B Basketball Runner-up.
10.
John Ghindia was in the military from 1943 to 1945, attained the rank of a second lieutenant, and served as a bombardier on a B-24 heavy bomber.
11.
John Ghindia played college football at Michigan from 1946 to 1949 under head coaches Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan.
12.
John Ghindia was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Michigan.
13.
John Ghindia earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan in 1950 and a Masters of Science degree in 1962.
14.
John Ghindia's value was as a play-caller and blocking back rather than as a passer or rusher.
15.
In 1949, John Ghindia caught eight passes for 77 yards, but completed only one of seven passes for 11 yards and threw two interceptions; halfback Chuck Ortmann was the team's leading passer with 627 passing yards.
16.
John Ghindia carried the ball only four times in 1949 for negative seven rushing yards.
17.
John Ghindia taught math for 33 years at Lincoln Park High School, Ecorse High School, and Henry Ford Community College.
18.
John Ghindia was the school's first full-time coach, coaching football, basketball and baseball.
19.
John Ghindia later served as a tennis and ice hockey coach at Ecorse High School in his home town of Ecorse, Michigan.
20.
John Ghindia served as the Director of the Ecorse Recreation Department for 16 years starting in 1956.
21.
John Ghindia helped pioneer the youth hockey programs for boys and girls in the Downriver area of metropolitan Detroit.
22.
Under John Ghindia's watch, Ecorse built the first outdoor ice rink in the Downriver Detroit area in 1957.
23.
John Ghindia has been inducted into the Michigan Catholic High School Hall of Fame, Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame, Michigan Tennis Hall of Fame, and Michigan High School Officials Hall of Fame.
24.
John Ghindia was a parishioner and usher at St Joseph Catholic Church in Trenton for 40 years.
25.
John Ghindia was a member of the Kiwanis club for 50 years.
26.
Ghindia's son, John R Ghindia, was an offensive lineman at the University of Michigan under head coach Bo Schembechler from 1981 to 1984.