John Albright Diehl (January 27, 1936 – December 28, 2012) was a defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League. He played college football at the University of Virginia.
| No. 78, 73 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | (1936-01-27)January 27, 1936 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||
| Died: | December 28, 2012(2012-12-28) (aged 76) Williamsburg, Virginia | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Frankford (PA) | ||
| College: | Virginia | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1958 / Round: 7 / Pick: 82 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||
Diehl attended Frankford High School. After graduation he enrolled at Bullis School for a year. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Virginia. He struggled during his college career, being injured as a sophomore and was out of school for scholastic reasons as a junior. He started at defensive tackle as a senior.
Diehl was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the seventh round (82nd overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over.[1] His rookie season came until 1961, where he made his professional debut at defensive tackle in the twelfth game against the San Francisco 49ers, replacing an injured Joe Lewis.[2] He was a backup at right defensive tackle behind Billy Ray Smith Sr. and Fred Miller. He was released on September 14, 1965.[3]
On September 15, 1965, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys.[4] He was released on September 24, to make room to activate Pete Gent from the taxi squad.[5]
In 1965, he was signed by the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.[6] In 1966, he was lost for the year with an injury.[7]
Diehl was a player-coach for the Harrisburg Colts in the semi-professional Atlantic Coast Football League. After football, he owned and operated various moving businesses in Virginia.