Val Jansante
Encyclopedia
Valerio Richard Jansante (September 27, 1920–October 1, 2008) was a professional American football
player who played wide receiver
for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and the Green Bay Packers
.
, Jansante first played his first game of football, in 1939, his senior year in high school under Alex Ufema at Bentleyville High School in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
. He played running back
and end and racked up 9 touchdown
s. Three TDs were against Ellsworth High all for more than 40 yards per score. Jansante also was a star basketball
player and was awarded the prestigious top athlete award of the area known as the Mid-Mon Valley Award due to his success in both sports.
’s star pupils at Duquesne University
. He played on the team during their 26 game winning streak. Duquesne was undefeated in 1941. At that time, Duquesne University
played big time Division I football. Because of World War II
, Jansante went into the Navy
in 1943 and was discharged in 1945 and joined the Steelers. During part of his service time Jansante spent a semester as a student at Harvard University
in Massachusetts
.
In 1943, Jansante was a student and varsity football player at Villanova University
. Perhaps his biggest game of his career, the game that changed his future, was when Villanova was scrimmaging the “Steagles
” (combined Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles
due to World War II) and Jansante sacked
the quarterback
five times and caught seven receptions
. Bert Bell
, from the Steelers’ front office, immediately put Jansante on the NFL draft list.
Then, he played for the Navel Base Fleet City team stationed out of Oakland, California
. The Fleet City team played against professional teams that were still in existence during the war. Jansante’s first 6 pass receptions were for touchdowns in 1945, and the unbeaten Fleet City football team won the championship.
but because of his service in World War II, did not join the team until 1946. Immediately Jansante led the team in receptions, but he needed only 10 to earn that distinction in 1946. A year later, in 1947, he set club records with 35 catches for 599 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the Eastern Division in receiving until the last game of the season. That was the first year the Steelers went to the playoffs (8-4 record), their only competition until Franco Harris
' “Immaculate Reception
” of 1972. Jansante broke his mark in 1948 with 39 receptions for 623 yards. In addition, he led the Steelers in pass receptions in 1949 and 1950. Also in 1950, Jansante led the entire NFL with 8.5 quarterback sacks from the defensive end
position.
Jansante was a two-way starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers from the first day he stepped onto the field in 1946. He played six seasons with the Steelers in which he was named First Team and Second Team All-Pro
. With 154 receptions in six seasons, Jansante held the reception record for a while and was among the top 10 pass catchers for a number of years for the Steelers. There were two games in which he caught 10 passes. The first was in 1949 in a game against Philadelphia; the quarterback attempted a total of 10 passes and Jansante caught all ten. The second game with 10 receptions was against Los Angeles in 1950. In the 75 year Steelers’ history, Val is eighth on the all-time list for most receptions in a single game.
In 1951, while leading the club with 15 receptions in mid-season, following the 6th game, he left the Steelers to join the Green Bay Packers as a running back. He played 3 games for the Packers, and was listed by the team as an end.
Jansante Jansante played for conservative coaches Dr. Jock Sutherland
and John Michelosen
. It was both coaches’ style not to throw the football. He was the first of the Steelers to catch double-digit (10) passes in a single game, therefore it is a surprise that even 10 passes were thrown in Jansante’s big days.
football
coach
at Central Catholic High School
in Pittsburgh, Mon Valley Catholic High School in Monongahela
, and Bentworth High School in Bentleyville. He coached both boys and girls athletics in the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
, District 7) for more than 25 years. Jansante resided in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania until his death.
, founder of the team, said he had fond memories of Jansante. “There wasn’t any better than Jansante,” he recalled. Jansante is also listed as one of the All Time Greatest Steelers in the 1998 book, Total Steelers, “The Official Encyclopedia of the Pittsburgh Steelers.” In 1999, he had the distinction of being listed as one of only six receivers to be considered on the ballot for the Pittsburgh Steelers All Century Team. In 2001, he was honored with the opening of the new Heinz Field
by being one of 12 members of the 1947 first playoff team. Again in 2007, he was the honorary team captain for the coin toss
when the Steelers played the San Francisco 49ers
as one of the players from the 40’s decade.
He has been honored by being placed in the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
, the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2000 he was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame at the same time as the NFL Great Joe Montana
.
Until 2006, Jansante was the only Steeler in the history of the club to lead the team 5 consecutive years in receiving; Super Bowl XL
MVP, Hines Ward
broke his 50 + year record. This is quite and accomplishment considering the forward pass wasn’t nearly as popular or effective when Val Jansante played. In the Single Wing that Pittsburgh played at the time, Jansante was considered the best pass catcher in Steelers history and was often compared to Pro Football Hall of Fame
player, Don Hutson
of the Green Bay Packers
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
High school
Born in La Belle, PennsylvaniaFayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Jansante first played his first game of football, in 1939, his senior year in high school under Alex Ufema at Bentleyville High School in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
Bentleyville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,502 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bentleyville is located at . U.S...
. He played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and end and racked up 9 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. Three TDs were against Ellsworth High all for more than 40 yards per score. Jansante also was a star basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and was awarded the prestigious top athlete award of the area known as the Mid-Mon Valley Award due to his success in both sports.
College
In college, Jansante was one of Buff DonelliAldo Donelli
Aldo "Buff" Teo Donelli was an American football and soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club:...
’s star pupils at Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
. He played on the team during their 26 game winning streak. Duquesne was undefeated in 1941. At that time, Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
played big time Division I football. Because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Jansante went into the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1943 and was discharged in 1945 and joined the Steelers. During part of his service time Jansante spent a semester as a student at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
In 1943, Jansante was a student and varsity football player at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. Perhaps his biggest game of his career, the game that changed his future, was when Villanova was scrimmaging the “Steagles
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
” (combined Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
due to World War II) and Jansante sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
five times and caught seven receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
. Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
, from the Steelers’ front office, immediately put Jansante on the NFL draft list.
Then, he played for the Navel Base Fleet City team stationed out of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. The Fleet City team played against professional teams that were still in existence during the war. Jansante’s first 6 pass receptions were for touchdowns in 1945, and the unbeaten Fleet City football team won the championship.
NFL
Jansante was a tenth round draft pick in 19441944 NFL Draft
The 1944 National Football League Draft was held on April 19, 1944.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
but because of his service in World War II, did not join the team until 1946. Immediately Jansante led the team in receptions, but he needed only 10 to earn that distinction in 1946. A year later, in 1947, he set club records with 35 catches for 599 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the Eastern Division in receiving until the last game of the season. That was the first year the Steelers went to the playoffs (8-4 record), their only competition until Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
' “Immaculate Reception
Immaculate Reception
The Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972...
” of 1972. Jansante broke his mark in 1948 with 39 receptions for 623 yards. In addition, he led the Steelers in pass receptions in 1949 and 1950. Also in 1950, Jansante led the entire NFL with 8.5 quarterback sacks from the defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
position.
Jansante was a two-way starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers from the first day he stepped onto the field in 1946. He played six seasons with the Steelers in which he was named First Team and Second Team All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
. With 154 receptions in six seasons, Jansante held the reception record for a while and was among the top 10 pass catchers for a number of years for the Steelers. There were two games in which he caught 10 passes. The first was in 1949 in a game against Philadelphia; the quarterback attempted a total of 10 passes and Jansante caught all ten. The second game with 10 receptions was against Los Angeles in 1950. In the 75 year Steelers’ history, Val is eighth on the all-time list for most receptions in a single game.
In 1951, while leading the club with 15 receptions in mid-season, following the 6th game, he left the Steelers to join the Green Bay Packers as a running back. He played 3 games for the Packers, and was listed by the team as an end.
Jansante Jansante played for conservative coaches Dr. Jock Sutherland
Jock Sutherland
Dr. John Bain "Jock" Sutherland, D.D.S., was an American football coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College and the University of Pittsburgh and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers...
and John Michelosen
John Michelosen
John Michelosen was a highly successful American football coach with both college and professional teams, and an inductee into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
. It was both coaches’ style not to throw the football. He was the first of the Steelers to catch double-digit (10) passes in a single game, therefore it is a surprise that even 10 passes were thrown in Jansante’s big days.
Retirement
After retiring from football, Jansante was a teacher and headHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
at Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools....
in Pittsburgh, Mon Valley Catholic High School in Monongahela
Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census...
, and Bentworth High School in Bentleyville. He coached both boys and girls athletics in the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
, District 7) for more than 25 years. Jansante resided in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania until his death.
Legacy
In 1983 when the Steelers were celebrating the 50th year in the National Football League, Jansante was on the All Time Greatest Steelers Ballot. Art Rooney, Sr.Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
, founder of the team, said he had fond memories of Jansante. “There wasn’t any better than Jansante,” he recalled. Jansante is also listed as one of the All Time Greatest Steelers in the 1998 book, Total Steelers, “The Official Encyclopedia of the Pittsburgh Steelers.” In 1999, he had the distinction of being listed as one of only six receivers to be considered on the ballot for the Pittsburgh Steelers All Century Team. In 2001, he was honored with the opening of the new Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
by being one of 12 members of the 1947 first playoff team. Again in 2007, he was the honorary team captain for the coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
when the Steelers played the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
as one of the players from the 40’s decade.
He has been honored by being placed in the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization established in 1962. It is the only community-based hall of fame in the United States...
, the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2000 he was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame at the same time as the NFL Great Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
.
Until 2006, Jansante was the only Steeler in the history of the club to lead the team 5 consecutive years in receiving; Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
MVP, Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
broke his 50 + year record. This is quite and accomplishment considering the forward pass wasn’t nearly as popular or effective when Val Jansante played. In the Single Wing that Pittsburgh played at the time, Jansante was considered the best pass catcher in Steelers history and was often compared to Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
player, Don Hutson
Don Hutson
Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
of the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.