Alex Rado
No. 12
Position:Back
Personal information
Born:(1911-07-19)July 19, 1911
Dayton, Ohio
Died:August 30, 1995(1995-08-30) (aged 84)
Dayton, Ohio
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Roosevelt (Dayton, Ohio)
College:New River State (1931–1933)
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Dayton Bombers (1939)
    Assistant coach
  • Dakota Streeters (1940–1942)
    Head coach
  • Dayton Rockets / John Stanko Barons / Wiedemann Buds (1946–1949)
    Head coach
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Alexander Rado (July 19, 1911 – August 30, 1995) was an American football player and coach. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League (NFL) in 1934.

Early years

Rado was born on July 19, 1911, in Dayton, Ohio, to Louis and Mary Rado.[1] Rado graduated from Roosevelt High School in Dayton, Ohio,[2] in 1929.[3] He played with the Lakeside Maroons, a semi-professional football team, during high school.[1] He played college football for New River State College from 1931 through 1933.[4][5] He was named captain for the 1933 team.[5] Rado was inducted into his college's hall of fame and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference named him to their "All Time Star" 50th anniversary team in 1974.[6]

Professional career

Rado joined the Kiefer Drugs, a semi-professional football team in Ohio, for the 1933 season.[7] He also played for the Dakota Streeters, a sandlot football team.[8] He signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National Football League on August 9, 1934.[9] He played in eight games for the Pirates in 1934, rushing for 210 yards.[10] His salary was $100 per game,[11] and he missed one month of the season due to a broken collarbone suffered during a tackle of Bronko Nagurski.[12][13][14] He was released before the start of the 1935 season on September 6, 1935.[15] He and Basilio Marchi filed workers' compensation claims in Pennsylvania against the Steelers, asserting that they should receive salaries despite their injuries during the 1934 season.[12] A judge ruled in their favor in January 1936.[12]

Rado played for the semi-pro Dayton Kesslers for the 1935 season.[16] He joined the Los Angeles Bulldogs in 1936,[17] and signed with the Dayton Rosies of the Midwest Football League in December 1936.[18] He stayed on with the Rosies through the 1937 and 1938 seasons.[19][20] The team became the Dayton Bombers in 1939, with Rado shifting to a role as a player-coach.[21] Rado was a player-coach for the Dakotas Athletic Club semi-professional football team in 1940.[22][23] His team went undefeated on the season.[24][25] Rado and the Dakotas joined the Ohio Professional Football League for the 1941 season.[26][27] He was a player-coach again in 1942 for the Dakotas.[28]

Rado founded the Dayton Rockets in 1946,[29][30] with his role again as a player-coach.[31] The team won the Dayton semi-pro city over the Dayton Bombers, 18–12, on December 1, 1946.[32] He announced his retirement from playing after 1946,[32] but returned as a player during the 1947 season.[33] The team joined the Inter-State Semipro Football League in 1947,[34][35] but left the league during the season.[36] They won the city championship over the Bombers again by a score of 47–0.[37]

The team became the John Stanko Barons for the 1948 season, with Rado playing quarterback.[38] They went 7–1–1 in 1948 before playing in the city championship again opposite the Bombers,[39] which they won for the third year in a row with a score of 30–6.[40] Renamed the Wiedemann Buds,[41] they played for the city championship against the Dayton Bombers again in 1949[42] and won their fourth title, 25–6.[43]

Post-football

Rado played in a Dayton softball league in 1963.[3] He also officiated high school football games and played bowling.[44] He worked for Delco Products as a tool process engineer after moving back to Dayton in 1936.[1] Rado had two children with his wife Stella,[1] and remarried to Marge after his first wife's death.[45] He died on August 30, 1995.[46]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nichols, Jim (September 10, 1972). "Rugged Daytonian Alex Rado: 1934 Steelers Cover Boy". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Rado Is Well Liked By Pittsburghers". Dayton Daily News. September 21, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Carroll, Tom (June 30, 1963). "Time Marches On; So Does Rado". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Rado is Star at New River". Dayton Daily News. October 3, 1931. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "New River wins by 19 to 0 score". The Charleston Daily Mail. October 29, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Collett, Ritter (February 25, 1975). "Journal of Sports". The Journal Herald. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Joe Dankworth is named captain for Kiefer Drug football team this year". The Piqua Daily Call. September 9, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Dakotas Down Kesslers, 8–6". The Dayton Herald. December 4, 1933. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "New River Halfback Signed by Rooney". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 10, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Alex Rado Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Compensation Case May Hit Colleges". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. January 21, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 "Disabled of Pro Football Compensated". Dayton Daily News. January 22, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Rado May Enter Pirate Pro Game". The Pittsburgh Press. November 10, 1934. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Marchi Gets Payment For Grid Hurts". The Pittsburgh Press. January 22, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Pirates Battle Portage Eleven". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 6, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Kesslers Top Kiefer Drugs Sunday 12–6". The Piqua Daily Call. September 30, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Burick, Si (October 13, 1936). "Si-ings". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Grid Tilt Shifted To Westwood Field". Dayton Daily News. December 12, 1936. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Rosies Have Ball Carriers". The Dayton Herald. October 2, 1937. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Rosies May Try Passes". The Dayton Herald. September 24, 1938. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Round the camps". Greenville Daily Advocate. September 19, 1939. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Dakota Eleven To Work Out". Dayton Daily News. September 15, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Dakotas Put Their Record On The Block". The Dayton Herald. November 15, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Dakotas Beat All-Stars 19–0". Dayton Daily News. December 9, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Sakal, Mike (January 1, 1992). "Dakota Streeters played football mainly for fun". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "2 Dayton Teams In New Pro Football Circuit". Dayton Daily News. September 21, 1941. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Dakotas to Stand Pat On Lineup". The Journal Herald. October 10, 1941. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Merchants Vs. Dakota 11 At Victory Park". Dayton Daily News. October 18, 1942. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "30 Candidates Working Out For Pro "11"". The Dayton Herald. September 4, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Galion Vet-Cubs Ready For Dayton Rockets Sunday Aft". Telegraph-Forum. October 12, 1946. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Sandlot Grid Rockets Wear Mickey's Label". The Dayton Herald. October 30, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. 1 2 "Rocket Rado Makes Exit In Blaze Of Glory". The Dayton Herald. December 2, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Rado, Rockets Set To Battle Indianapolis". The Journal Herald. November 1, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Grid Angels To Play Mendon Tomorrow". The Marion Star. September 26, 1947. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Sheridan Gridders Win 14th Straight". The Indianapolis News. October 13, 1947. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Rockets Meet Dakotas; Title Game Not Dead". The Dayton Herald. November 22, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Rado Sparks 47–0 Lacing Of Bombers". The Journal Herald. December 1, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "Title At Stake In Bombers, Barons Fray". The Journal Herald. November 27, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Barons, Bombers Play For Semipro Grid Title". Dayton Daily News. November 28, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Rado Carries Baron Eleven To Third Straight Title". The Dayton Herald. December 6, 1948. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Buds Battle Columbus "11" Here Today". Dayton Daily News. October 16, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Radomen, Bombers In Title Grid Tilt Today". Dayton Daily News. November 13, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Buds-'Rocks Tilt Is Hinted". Dayton Daily News. November 20, 1949. Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ "Taylor-Made Pin Scores For Packer". The Journal Herald. October 15, 1964. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ Katz, Marc (December 23, 1989). "Where are they now?: Alex Rado". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ "Rado dies; ex-Steeler, local star". Dayton Daily News. August 31, 1995. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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