Neno Joseph "Jerry" DaPrato (January 14, 1893 – April 29, 1984) was an American football player. He played college football for Michigan Agricultural College and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1915. He also played professional football for the Detroit Heralds and Detroit Tigers.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1893-01-14)January 14, 1893 Iron Mountain, Michigan |
| Died: | April 29, 1984(1984-04-29) (aged 91) Parkesburg, Pennsylvania |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Iron Mountain High School |
| College: | Michigan Agricultural College |
| Position: | Fullback |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Player stats at PFR | |
DaPrato was born in 1893 in Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and graduated from Iron Mountain High School.[1]
DaPrato attended Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C., later renamed Michigan State University), where he played college football at the halfback position for the M.A.C. Aggies from 1914 to 1915. DaPrato was a multi-talented player who ran with the ball, handled place-kicking and punting, and was also considered "a fine forward passer."[2] The 1915 M.A.C. team compiled a 5-1 record, including a 24 to 0 victory over rival Michigan,[3] and the Detroit Free Press called DaPrato "the leader of the best team M.A.C. ever had."[4] In M.A.C's 24-0 victory over Michigan, the game was played on Michigan's home field, and DaPrato scored all 24 points for M.A.C., consisting of three touchdowns, three extra points, and a field goal.[5][6] On November 6, 1915, DePrato played in his final game for M.A.C., a 68 to 6 victory over Marquette. He scored four touchdowns, threw a long touchdown pass to Henning, kicked eight extra points, and tallied 22 points scored in his final game.[7]
At the end of the 1915 season, DaPrato was a consensus first-team selection on the 1915 College Football All-America Team.[8] He was called "the greatest scoring machine of the year" after scoring 130 points in just six games during the 1915 season.[9]
DaPrato also played professional football for the Detroit Heralds starting in November 1915.[2] He made his pro debut on Sunday, November 7, 1915 -- one day after he appeared in his final collegiate game for M.A.C. DaPrato started at left halfback in a game that ended in a scoreless tie with Lancaster. The Detroit Free Press noted: "Jerry De Prato helped some while he was in there, but he was so banged up from the Marquette game that he was forced to retire after the first half."[10] The following week, DaPrato led the Heralds to a 69 to 0 victory over the Buffalo Bisons. DaPrato "emphatically demonstrated how to batter a line and skirt the ends," as he ran for a touchdown and converted 9 of 10 extra point attempts for a total of 15 points.[11]
During World War I, DaPrato's football career was interrupted by military service. He served with the United States Army in Germany and was appointed acting mayor of a German town during the occupation. DaPrato wrote from Germany, "I am the mayor of the town and the boss of everybody in it, Germans included."[12]
In September 1920, the NFL (called the American Professional Football Association during the 1920 and 1921 seasons) was founded at a meeting in the Hupmobile auto showroom of the owner of the Canton Bulldogs.[13] In the inaugural season of the NFL, DaPrato played at the fullback position for the 1920 Detroit Heralds.[14][15] He played in the 1921 NFL season with the Detroit Tigers.[1]
In October 1922, DaPrato joined the Michigan National Guard with the rank of captain.[16] He married Elizabeth Parke, a nurse he had met during the war, and the DaPratos were the last family members to reside in the historic David Parke House in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania.[17] DaPrato died there in 1984 at age 91.[1]