Joseph William Dellastatious (October 2, 1922 – November 6, 2023) was an American college football player and coach. He played as a quarterback with the Missouri Tigers.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1922 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 2023 (aged 101) |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1943–1945 | Missouri |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1948–1952 | Florida (assistant) |
| 1953–1954 | Southwest Missouri State |
| Golf | |
| 1949–1952 | Florida |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 5–12 (football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
Career
editDellastatious played college football at the University of Missouri, where he was a quarterback.[1] He had previously played at Clemson University and attended Bucknell and George Washington University.[2]
Dellastatious was drafted by National Football League (NFL) teams twice. In the 1945 NFL draft he was chosen with the 19th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was ruled "not yet eligible" by the NFL and the pick was forfeited.[3] He was then properly drafted in the first round of the 1946 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.[4]
Despite being such a highly-sought recruit, instead of playing professional football, Dellastatious chose to take a job as an assistant coach at the University of Florida.
He went on to coach and teach at Southwest Missouri State College, the Citadel, Wake Forest University, and Salem College in West Virginia.[5] Dellastatious served as the head football coach at Southwest Missouri State—now known as Missouri State University–from 1953 to 1954, compiling a record of 5–12.
Personal life and death
editDellastatious was born in Washington D.C. on October 2, 1922.[6][7] He was married to Anne Lee, who died in Jackson, Tennessee, on May 13, 2017, at the age of 87.[8] He died on November 6, 2023, at the age of 101.[9]
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Missouri State Bears (Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association) (1952–1953) | |||||||||
| 1953 | Southwest Missouri State | 3–6 | 3–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1954 | Southwest Missouri State | 2–6 | 1–4 | T–4th | |||||
| Southwest Missouri State: | 5–12 | 4–6 | |||||||
| Total: | 5–12 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ Eisenhammer, Fred (January 10, 2014). College Football's Most Memorable Games, 2d ed. McFarland Publishing. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ "Tigers Score Par 54; U.N. Totals 20". Omaha World Herald. October 30, 1943. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
- ^ George Strickler (ed.), The National Football League Record and Rules Manual, 1945. Chicago: National Football League, 1945; p. 84.
- ^ "Bill Dellastatious". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ "Joseph William Dellastatious (Bill), age 101 of Jackson, passed away on November 6, 2023". Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Living a full life". Jackson Sun. August 30, 2011. p. B1.
- ^ "Miss Ane Walker Lee Plans December Wedding". Tampa Sunday Tribune. Florida. December 3, 1950. p. 8D – via newspapers.com.
marriage of her daughter, Anne Walker Lee, to Joseph William Dellastatious ... Mr. Dellastatious attended Clemson College and was graduated from the University of Missouri, ... and at present is a member of the faculty of the University of Florida, serving in the capacity of golf coach and instructor in required physical education.
- ^ "Anne Lee Dellastatious obituary". The Jackson Sun. May 14, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Joseph William (Bill) Dellastatious Obituary - Jackson, TN". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved November 11, 2023.