Don Panciera
Donald Matthew Panciera (June 23, 1927 – February 9, 2012) was an American football quarterback, halfback, and defensive back in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League. He played for the New York Yankees (AAFC), the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Cardinals. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles and the San Francisco Dons.
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| Position: | Quarterback/Halfback/Defensive back | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | June 23, 1927 Westerly, Rhode Island | ||||||
| Died: | February 9, 2012 (aged 84) Westerly, Rhode Island | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Providence (RI) La Salle | ||||||
| College: | San Francisco | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1949 / Round: 4 / Pick: 41 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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High school football
He was a two time first-team All-State quarterback honors for La Salle Academy in 1944 and 1945. He quarterbacked La Salle teams to some of the school's greatest seasons. As a senior in 1945 he led the Maroon to an undefeated season and a trip to New Orleans for a special high school bowl game at Tulane Stadium.
College football
He was a starting quarterback for Boston College and the University of San Francisco.
Pro football
Despite being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th Round of the 1949 NFL Draft, Panciera joined the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference who selected him in the sixth round of the 1949 AAFC Draft. In 12 games, he completed 51 of 150 passes for 5 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The conference folded after the 1949 season, so in 1950 Panciera played defensive back for the Detroit Lions, recording 1 interception in 4 games. In 1952, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League. In 8 games he completed 35 of 96 passes for 582 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. In 1953, he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Rugby Union, but appeared in only 1 game.
After Football
After his playing days he served as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton for three years and Boston College for a year. In 1960, he began working for General Motors in New England and in 1970 was awarded a GM dealership in Wakefield, Rhode Island.