John McNally

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This article is about the NFL player. For the Irish Olympic boxing medallist, see John McNally (boxer).

For the Emmerdale character, see John McNally (Emmerdale).

John McNally

Date of birth	November 27, 1903
Place of birth	New Richmond, Wisconsin
Date of death	November 28, 1985
Position(s)	Halfback Head Coach
College	St Johns University
Honors	NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
Career Record	6-19-0
Playing Stats	DatabaseFootball
Coaching Stats	DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a player
1925-1926 1926-1927 1928 1929-1933 1934 1935-1936 1937-1938	Milwaukee Badgers Duluth Eskimos Pottsville Maroons Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Pirates Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Pirates
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1937-1939	Pittsburgh Pirates
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1963

John Victor McNally (November 27, 1903 – November 28, 1985) was an American football player, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1 Early life
2 "Johnny Blood"
3 Career highlights
4 Later in life
5 Sources

[edit] Early life

A native of New Richmond, Wisconsin McNally was an intelligent and unathletic youth who graduated high school at 14. He blossomed into an athlete while at Saint Johns University in Collegeville, Minn., where he became the captain of the basketball team and a letterman in track, baseball, and football, all in his junior year.

[edit] "Johnny Blood"

With one year of college eligibility left, McNally and a friend decided to join a professional football team. While passing by a movie theater, McNally saw the title of the film Blood and Sand on the marquee. He turned to his friend and said, "That's it. You be Sand. I'll be Blood."

Using the alias "Johnny Blood" — an alias that became his nickname — McNally was able to play professional football without losing his college eligibility.

[edit] Career highlights

McNally played in the National Football League for 14 seasons, with five different teams. In his prime, McNally was 6'1" and 188 lbs., known for his speed, agility, and pass-catching ability.

He got his professional start in 1925 with the Milwaukee Badgers, where he became famous as the "Vagabond Halfback" for his off-the-field behavior and spontaneity.

In 1926 and 1927 he played for the Duluth Eskimos, and in 1926 he played with the Pottsville Maroons.

Between 1929 and 1936 he played with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he won four championships.

In 1937, he moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers (then called the Pirates), where on his first play he ran back a kick 92 yards for a touchdown. He ended his NFL career in 1939 as the head coach of the Pirates.

From 1950-1952, he coached football at Saint John's where he amassed 13-9 record during his three year stint.

[edit] Later in life

McNally returned to Saint Johns at age 42 to finish his economics degree and write a textbook on the subject. He married Veronica Muenkel in his mid-forties. They had eight children: Kevin, William, Douglas Keith, Veronica, Patricia, Kathleen, Margaret and Thomas John.

McNally's spontaneous and bizarre behavior didn't stop with his football career. Upon one occasion, out of boredom, he climbed to the top of a train, walked to the engineer's car, dropped through the ceiling, and spent the rest of the trip entertaining the drivers.

McNally was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

[edit] Sources

John (Blood) McNally, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Old Leather. Film by ESPN.
St. John's Coaching Records

Preceded by Joe Bach	Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach 1937–1939	Succeeded by Walt Kiesling

Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers Head Coaches
Douds • DiMelio • Bach • McNally • Kiesling • Bell • Donelli • Kiesling • Leonard • Sutherland • Michelosen • Bach • Kiesling • Parker • Nixon • Austin • Noll • Cowher • Tomlin