Joseph John Cichy[1] (born May 12, 1948)[2][a] is an American attorney and former gridiron football player. He played college football primarily as a safety for the North Dakota State Bison. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame.
| Position | Safety |
|---|---|
| Class | 1971 |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 12, 1948 Fargo, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | North Dakota State (1968–1970) |
| Bowl games |
|
| High school | Shanley (Fargo, North Dakota) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| College Football Hall of Fame (1997) | |
Biography edit
Cichy attended Shanley High School in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota, where he was quarterback of the football team.[4] He then attended North Dakota State University (NDSU).[2] With the Bison football team, he was a backup quarterback in 1968 then a safety during the 1969 and 1970 seasons,[2] serving as team captain during the latter.[5] The Bison were selected as small college national champions by the Associated Press for 1968 and 1969.[2][b]
Following his collegiate career, Cichy was not selected in the 1971 NFL draft, but was briefly with the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason until being released in July 1971.[6] He then returned to his high school, where his father was head football coach, and taught in the physical education department.[7] In May 1973, he was hired by St. Mary's Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota, to a similar role and to serve as head football coach.[7] He coached there until resigning in April 1978 in order to attend law school.[8]
By October 1981, Cichy had obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law[9] and was working for the North Dakota Water Commission as an assistant attorney general.[10] He joined a private law firm in Bismarck in late 1985.[11][12]
Cichy was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.[2] He was inducted to the athletic hall of fame at NDSU in 1981,[5] joining his father, Sid, a 1973 inductee.[13] Joe's brother Nick was also inducted in 1988.[14] Another brother, Steve, played for Notre Dame;[2] Steve's son Jack Cichy played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[15][16] Joe Cichy was inducted to the hall of fame associated with his high school in 2017.[17]
Cichy married Barbara Perry of Bismarck in June 1978.[1] The couple had three daughters.[18][9]
Notes edit
- ^ The Philadelphia Eagle's 1971 media guide listed Cichy's year of birth as 1949.[3]
- ^ The Bison also finished atop the UPI small college football rankings in 1969; they were ranked second by UPI in 1968.
References edit
- ^ a b "Perry-Cichy". The Bismarck Tribune. June 23, 1978. p. 6. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "Joe Cichy". footballfoundation.org. College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Rookie Profiles". The Philadelphia Eagles Yearbook & Media Guide. 1971. p. 59. Retrieved April 30, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Playback". The Bismarck Tribune. April 19, 1992. p. 3B. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Bison Athletic Hall of Fame: Joe Cichy". gobison.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Eagles Waive Joe Cichy". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, Iowa. July 18, 1971. p. D1. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Joe Cichy To Head St. Mary's Football Staff". The Bismarck Tribune. May 18, 1973. p. 12. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Smrekar Gets Saints Head Football Job". The Bismarck Tribune. April 26, 1978. p. 34. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Pursley, Scooter (August 10, 1997). "Cichy: All the credentials". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 5B. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Thomas, Steve (October 20, 1981). "Saints' Coaches Felt $ Pinch". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 15. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Announcement". The Bismarck Tribune. November 25, 1985. p. 6B. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Knoll, Dan (April 30, 1989). "Cichy: Learn from all experiences". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 8B. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bison Athletic Hall of Fame: Sid Cichy". gobison.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Bison Athletic Hall of Fame: Nick Cichy". gobison.com. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Meet Jack Cichy, the former walk-on who keeps crushing the doubters". USAToday.com. March 30, 2018.
Your dad, Steve Cichy, played at Notre Dame before playing professional football in Canada.
- ^ "Jack Cichy". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "Mike & Karen Hofer Deacon Award & Hall of Fame". jp2schools.org. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ Voskuil, Vicki (July 17, 1991). "Unquenchably curious Barb Cichy has a lot to give". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 1C. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via newspapers.com.