Vic Marino

Victor Irving Marino (October 2, 1918 – January 7, 2006), sometimes known as the "Little Dynamo", was an American football player who played at the guard position. He played college football for Ohio State from 1936 to 1939, service football for the undefeated 1942 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team, and professional football for various clubs, including the 1947 Baltimore Colts. He was also injured while serving on the USS Maddox during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

Early life

Marino was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1918. He attended Rayen High School in Youngstown, Ohio. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1936 to 1939. He was also selected for the Midwest College All-Stars that played in a charity game against the Cleveland Rams.

Professional football and military service In 1940, he played professional football for the Boston Bears of the American Football League. He appeared in 10 games at guard for Boston, all of them as a starter.

He enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1941, five months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was initially assigned as an athletic trainer at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and played for the undefeated 1942 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team that was ranked No. 1 in the final AP Service Poll. In July 1943, he was an anti-aircraft gunner on the destroyer USS Maddox during the Allied invasion of Sicily and ended up with eight pieces of shrapnel in his body and a head wound when the Maddox was attacked and sunk by Nazi bombers. After the injuries, Marino was assigned to the physical education department at Naval Station Treasure Island.

In the fall of 1945, he played for the Oakland Giants of the Pacific Coast Football League. After the 1945 season, he signed to play professional football for the Chicago Bears but did not play for the team. He instead played for the Akron Bears of the American Football League in 1946.

Later life Marino died in 2006 at age 87 at a nursing home in Worthington, Ohio.