NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 78 - Al Mastrangeli, East

The 78th player on our list didn't let a little thing like World War II stop his football career.

Mastrangeli was the "hard-charging fullback" on the first East Rockford football teams in 1940 and 1941 that went 4-9-2 after Rockford High School was split into two.

Despite the poor record, Mastrangeli was named second team All-Big Eight in 1940. In 1941, with war clouds looming, the season was shut down early because of an ordered "economic vacation" and it appears as if no all-conference team was named.

Mastrangeli planned on continuing his career at Northern Illinois State Teachers College, now known as Northern Illinois University, which was an NCAA Division II school at the time. 

Those plans changed radically after his freshman year in 1942. He joined the U.S. Army and served for the rest of the war. In 1946, now having filled out to 6-1, 205 pounds, Mastrangeli resumed his football career but on a much bigger stage.

Mastrangeli joined fellow Rockford native, Joe Buscemi, a West graduate, on the University of Illinois line. Buscemi and Mastrangeli were responsible for creating holes for Buddy Young, the first African American star at Illinois.

Mastrangeli would start for the Illini in 1946, 1947, and 1948. Illinois would go 16-11-1 during his three years. The best team, by far, was the 1946 squad, which went 8-2 and qualified for the Rose Bowl for the first time in school history. The Illini crushed UCLA in Pasadena by a 45-14 score.

After his senior year, he was picked to play in the annual Chicago College Football All-Star game and his play earned him a pro look. The Green Bay Packers drafted Mastrangeli in the 13th round, four picks after the Bears took George Blanda. Instead, Mastrangeli signed with the New York Yankees of the AAFC. 

When Mastrangeli didn't make the Yankees, he returned to Rockford and kept playing for several years for the Rockford Golden Eagles, a semi-professioanal team that played at Beyer Stadium. Later, he teamed up with his brother, Tiberi, to run a restaurant across the street from Rockford City Hall called Erwin's Restaurant for most of the 1960s and 1970s.

Mastrangeli died in 2002.

No. 78 - Al Mastrangeli, East
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1940	High School	East	Second Team All-Big 8	1
1941	High School	East	Starter on losing team	0
1942	College	Northern Illinois	Player on Freshman Team	1
1946	College	Illinois	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Rose Bowl	1
1947	College	Illinois	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
1948	College	Illinois	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1949	Pro Football	Green Bay Packers	Drafted in 13th Round	1
		New York Yankees	Signed by AAFC Team	1
Total				22

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players

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