Jack Deloplaine

Jack A. Deloplaine (April 21, 1954 – August 2, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins, and Chicago Bears from 1976 to 1979, having earlier played college football for the Salem Tigers.

Early life Deloplaine was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1954. He attended Pottstown Senior High School in his hometown. He then studied at Salem College, where he played for the Salem Tigers. During his tenure with the team, he was selected as an All-WVIAC four times and was an AP College Division All-American. He led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in scoring in 1975 with 22 touchdowns in 11 games for a total of 132 points. Deloplaine was conferred the Hardman Award in 1975, after being recognized as best amateur athlete in West Virginia by the state's sports writers association. He was also honored as an NAIA All-American and named the team's offensive most valuable player that same year. because of his running ability in wet conditions during training camp prior to the 1976 season. He made his NFL debut with the Steelers on September 12, 1976, at the age of 22, in a 31–28 loss against the Oakland Raiders. He subsequently registered 205 total return yards in a 30–27 defeat to the New England Patriots on September 26 that same year, in his third game of the season. He suffered a knee injury in the last game of his rookie season against the Houston Oilers, which precipitated injuries in the following seasons,

Deloplaine won two Super Bowl rings when the Steelers emerged victorious in the Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. However, he did not register a statistic in either championship game, He played just two games with the franchise, – and was once again placed on waivers, eventually signing with the Chicago Bears. He signed with the newly established Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League in January 1984, but retired at the end of that same month before the start of the 1984 season.

Honors and awards Deloplaine was inducted into the Salem University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. He was also a member of his hometown's sports hall of fame. The Jack Deloplaine Leadership Award – given annually to a student at his alma mater who demonstrates "athletic spirit, achievement and leadership" He also headed a strength and conditioning program at North Catholic High School, He often attended Steelers games and was invited to the team's final game at Three Rivers Stadium in 2000. The family resided in the North Side of Pittsburgh, Deloplaine died on August 2, 2022, at the age of 68.