Ernest Raymond Zalejski (November 23, 1925 – August 5, 2012) was an American football back who played one season with the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 1950 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame and attended Washington High School in South Bend, Indiana.[1]
| No. 89 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back / Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 23, 1925 South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died: | August 5, 2012 (aged 86) South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Washington (South Bend, Indiana) |
| College: | Notre Dame |
| NFL draft: | 1950 / round: 5 / pick: 62 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Career: | 24–13–4 (.634) |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editZalejski played high school football at Washington High School all-state honors three times from 1942 to 1944. He was named Most Valuable Player of the North Indiana Conference in 1944. He also won two state championships in 1943 and 1944.[2]
Military career
editZalejski joined the United States Army after graduating from high school in 1945. He served in the Philippines and was in the U.S. occupation force in Japan. He was then shortly stationed in Seattle before being discharged and enrolling at the University of Notre Dame.[3]
College career
editZalejski played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1946 to 1949. The Fighting Irish won 39 games and were undefeated during his time there. They were also national champions in 1946, 1947 and 1949. Zalejski was named to the Blue Gray All Star Game in 1949.[2]
Professional career
editZalejski was selected by the Chicago Bears of the NFL with the 62nd pick in the 1950 NFL draft.[1] He played in eleven games for the NFL's Baltimore Colts during the 1950 season.[4]
Coaching career
editZalejski served as head coach at Joliet Catholic High School from 1954 to 1958, accumulating a record of 24-13-4. He retired from coaching in 1959.
Personal life
editZalejski was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and the South Bend Hall of Fame in 2004.[2][3][5] He was also area manager of the U.S. Saving Bonds Division of the U.S. Treasury Department.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b "ERNIE ZALEJSKI". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Ernest Raymond 'Ernie' Zalejski". oldestlivingprofootball.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Rallo, Curt (August 8, 2012). "Notre Dame football: Zalejski was one of best area has seen". orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ "Ernie Zalejski". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ "Hall of Fame Archives". southbendalumni.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ "ZALEJSKI, ERNEST "ERNIE"". indiana-football.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.