Lou Abbruzzi

Louis John "Duke" Abbruzzi (August 3, 1917 – December 6, 1982) was an American football, basketball and baseball player.

Early career Born in Warren, Rhode Island,

Sports cartoonist Frank Lanning dubbed him the 'Duke of Warren' in his illustrations published in the Providence Journal.

Professional career Returning from his service in the US Army, Abbruzzi spent one season with the Boston Yanks of the National Football League (NFL) as a special teams player and tailback. He accounted for 229 all-purpose yards, 26 rushing yards from 6 carries, 55 receiving yards on 2 receptions, 147 yards on 8 kick off returns and completed one pass for 11 yards.

Coaching In addition to participating in the sports, Abbruzzi also coached later in this career. He coached DeLaSalle Academy, Rogers High and Thompson Junior High, Newport. In 1971 the team he coached at Rogers High won the state baseball championship.