Tony Canadeo

Tony Canadeo
A black and white portrait of Canadeo in his football uniform and holding a football. The photo is signed by Canadeo.
c. 1949
No. 3
Position:Back
Personal information
Born:(1919-05-05)May 5, 1919
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died:November 29, 2003(2003-11-29) (aged 84)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Steinmetz College Prep (Chicago, Illinois)
College:Gonzaga
NFL draft:1941 / Round: 9 / Pick: 77
Career history
Career highlights and awards
NFL
College
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:4,197
Rushing touchdowns:26
Receptions:69
Receiving yards:579
Receiving touchdowns:5
Passing yards:1,642
TD–INT:16–20
Interceptions made:9
Player stats at PFR

Anthony Robert Canadeo (May 5, 1919 – November 29, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers from 1941 to 1952, having missed most of the 1944 season and the entire 1945 season while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, played football for the Bulldogs, and earned the nickname "Gray Ghost of Gonzaga".

Canadeo was selected by the Packers in the 1941 NFL draft.[1]

Before the war, Canadeo was a triple-threat halfback for the Packers, leading the team in rushing and passing in 1943. When he returned from the war in 1946, he served primarily as a running back, and in 1949 became the third player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season.

He retired as the Packers' all-time rushing yards leader.[2] Canadeo's number 3 was retired by the Packers immediately following his retirement as a player. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.

After his playing career, Canadeo worked as a color commentator for CBS television, covering Packers games with Ray Scott. He also was a long-time member of the Green Bay Packers, Inc. Board of Directors and Executive Committee, most notably during the Vince Lombardi era.

Canadeo died in 2003 at the age of 84.

  1. ^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  2. ^ The Football Database, LLC (December 19, 2022). "Green Bay Packers Career Rushing Leaders". The Football Database. Retrieved December 21, 2022.