Bozick played with two outstanding coaches
John Bozick had an outstanding athletic career, he played for two outstanding coaches and along the way he played with a legend.
Bozick was an standout athlete at Centerville High School in the 1950s. He played on football teams that had records of 2-6-1 in 1953, 7-1-1 in 1954 and 5-1-3 in 1955.
An outstanding two-way end for the Wildcats, Bozick made an impact starting as a sophomore.
无毛视频淚 started getting playing time as a sophomore,无毛视频� Bozick recalled. 无毛视频淚 made first team that year. We had Red Worrell and we had some good athletes which actually showed what we had, because most of the athletes being at a small school like Centerville, most of the athletes played all the sports. I played football, basketball and baseball.
无毛视频淚 enjoyed both football and basketball. I had a good year in basketball my senior year and at 6-foot-2 I had good size for that era.无毛视频�
The legend that Bozick played with was the legendary Worrell.
无毛视频淗e was better than that good, he was great,无毛视频� Bozick explained. 无毛视频淗e was one of the greatest football players that I无毛视频檝e ever seen. I tackled him in practice and hurt myself.无毛视频�
Bozick has a real soft spot for his old football coach in high school, Pete Daley.
无毛视频淗e was one of the best coaches that I had even in college,无毛视频� Bozick stated. 无毛视频淗e knew football, he was a little eccentric at times, but in the same vein he did a good job with what he had to work with. He went to work to get you into some school, we came from a small school, but look at the number of guys we put in college.无毛视频�
All-County honors came Bozick无毛视频檚 way his senior season in football.
Bozick played on some solid basketball teams at Centerville. The Wildcats posted records of 19-3 in 1952-53, 15-7 in 1953-54, 16-6 in 1954-55 and 20-5 in 1955-56.
无毛视频淲e beat Mapletown in a Section 18 playoff my senior year, 54-51,无毛视频� Bozick said. 无毛视频淚n the WPIAL playoffs we beat Perry, 72-45, and lost to McDonald, 63-55.无毛视频�
Bozick led the team in scoring as a senior when he tallied 344 points. He was named honorable All State in basketball his senior year.
无毛视频淲e were very competitive in baseball,无毛视频� Bozick said. 无毛视频淲e had a good team and had one guy make it to the minor leagues and a couple played baseball in college.无毛视频�
When Bozick graduated from Centerville in 1956 he was heavily recruited for football.
无毛视频淚 was recruited by Syracuse, Indiana, Purdue, Miami of Florida, and West Virginia,无毛视频� Bozick said. 无毛视频淚 went down to West Virginia and it was alright. When my Centerville teammate Frank Korbini and I went to Penn State we fell in love with the place.无毛视频�
Bozick played freshman football for the Nittany Lions in 1957. He then earned a varsity letter in 1958, 59 and 1960. Penn State was 6-3-1 in 1958, they went 9-2 in 1959 including a 7-0 win over Alabama in the first Liberty Bowl. In 1960 the Lions were 7-3, including a 41-12 victory over Oregon in the Liberty Bowl.
Penn State coach Rip Engle was the second coaching legend that Bozick played for in his football career.
无毛视频淐oach Engle was a great guy and he was a great coach to play for,无毛视频� Bozick offered. 无毛视频淗e was a taskmaster, but he was fair. He wouldn无毛视频檛 criticize you, he would teach you.无毛视频�
Bozick played both offensive and defensive end for Penn State.
无毛视频淚 started getting playing time in 1958,无毛视频� Bozick said. 无毛视频淲e had Richie Lucas he was our All-American quarterback, we didn无毛视频檛 throw the ball much, in the Liberty Bowl we threw 10 or 11 passes. At end I was basically a blocker at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. My senior year in 1960 I was injured early and came back and then broke my leg against West Virginia and that ended my senior season.
无毛视频淧enn State was a great choice to go to school. We had a very close knit team. I got a great education and at that time, that was our goal to get an education. My dad was a coal miner, going to college happened because I got a scholarship.无毛视频�
When Bozick graduated from Penn State he got into education. He got a job at New Castle High School right out of college.
无毛视频淚 was there for one year and was an assistant coach for the legendary Lindy Lauro,无毛视频� Bozick explained. 无毛视频淚 then went to Mercer for two years. An opening came at Penn State in the intramural department and I was there for four years. My father in law was in the insurance business and was in poor health. I went to Pittsburgh and was in the insurance business for 38 years. I retired in 2006.无毛视频�
Bozick, 76, resides in Southport, North Carolina. He is a widower, his wife Judith passed away in 2006. They had three children: Two sons, Ken and Bruce, and a daughter, Melissa.
无毛视频淎thletics was a big part of my life,无毛视频� Bozick said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 glad I did it and I tell many people I无毛视频檇 do it again despite all a the injuries as a result of playing football. I无毛视频檝e had two knee replacements, two shoulder replacements and open heart surgery, but I wouldn无毛视频檛 change a thing. If I could do it again I would.无毛视频�
George Von Benko无毛视频檚 无毛视频淢emory Lane无毛视频� columns appear in the Tuesday editions of the 无毛视频-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.