Charlie O'Connell (roller derby)
Encyclopedia
Charlie O'Connell is a retired roller derby
player, considered the premier male star of his sport. He was inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 1967, after his first retirement.
O'Connell was born in New York
.
At and 200 lbs, he was one of the larger and speedier players, considered a "prototype pivotman". He made an immediate impact in his 1953 debut season with the New York Chiefs and was named rookie of the year. Nicknamed "Mr. Roller Derby", he went on to win the league's Most Valuable Player award eight times. It is believed he earned the highest salary in the sport's history, estimated as $40,000 or $50,000. He also coached the team with which he is most closely associated, the San Francisco Bay Bombers.
He initially retired in 1967, but soon returned to the sport and played until 1978, before finally hanging up his skates for good. He estimated he had played "well over 3000 games" during his career.
He was one of the focal points of the 1971 documentary film Derby
.
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
player, considered the premier male star of his sport. He was inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 1967, after his first retirement.
O'Connell was born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
At and 200 lbs, he was one of the larger and speedier players, considered a "prototype pivotman". He made an immediate impact in his 1953 debut season with the New York Chiefs and was named rookie of the year. Nicknamed "Mr. Roller Derby", he went on to win the league's Most Valuable Player award eight times. It is believed he earned the highest salary in the sport's history, estimated as $40,000 or $50,000. He also coached the team with which he is most closely associated, the San Francisco Bay Bombers.
He initially retired in 1967, but soon returned to the sport and played until 1978, before finally hanging up his skates for good. He estimated he had played "well over 3000 games" during his career.
He was one of the focal points of the 1971 documentary film Derby
Derby (1971 film)
Derby is a 1971 American documentary film directed by Robert Kaylor abut about the world of professional roller derby in the 1970s. The film is also known as Roller Derby in the United Kingdom.-Cast:*Ann Calvello as Herself...
.