Pete Pihos

Pete Pihos

No. 35
Date of birth	(1923-10-22)October 22, 1923
Place of birth	Orlando, Florida
Date of death	August 16, 2011(2011-08-16) (aged 87)
Place of death	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Career information
Position(s)	End
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
US college	Indiana
NFL draft	1945 / round: 5 / pick: 41
Drafted by	Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
As player
1947–1955	Philadelphia Eagles
Career highlights and awards
2× NFL champion (1948, 1949) 6× Pro Bowl (1950–1955) 5× First-team All-Pro (1949, 1952–1955) 2× NFL receiving yards leader (1953, 1955) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Career stats
Playing stats at NFL.com
College Football Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1970
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1944–1946
Rank	2nd Lieutenant
Unit	35th Infantry Division
Battles / wars	World War II Normandy landings

Peter Louis Pihos (October 22, 1923 – August 16, 2011) was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a high school junior when his mother moved the family to Chicago. His father was a murder victim, and when a suspect was acquitted, Pete decided to become a lawyer. He was just one semester short of a law degree when he became disenchanted with the idea.

World War II

Pihos served in the United States Army during World War II in the 35th Infantry Division under George S. Patton. He took part in the D-Day campaign. Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant on the battlefield, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star medals for bravery. He was quoted in a documentary film as always caring for the men who served with him.

Playing career

Pihos attended Austin High School in Chicago, then was an All-American at Indiana University, as an end. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1945 NFL Draft by the Eagles, but two years of military service prevented him from joining the team until 1947. During his nine seasons of play, he missed just one game.

Immediately after Pihos joined the Eagles, the team marched to its first divisional championship. In the playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Eastern Division crown, he blocked a punt to set up the first touchdown in the Eagles' 21–0 win. Philadelphia won three straight divisional championships and then back-to-back NFL titles by shutout scores. In 1948, the Eagles defeated the Chicago Cardinals, 7–0. One year later, Pihos caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the Eagles' 14–0 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Pihos led the NFL in receiving from 1953 through 1955 and earned first-team All-Pro or All-League honors six times and was named to six Pro Bowls.

Death

Pihos died at age 87 after succumbing to Alzheimer's disease.

Films

The documentary short Dear Dad by his daughter Melissa Pihos explores the effects of Alzheimer's by juxtaposing photos and footage from his days as a player for the Philadelphia Eagles with images of him as he fights the disease. A feature-length documentary Pihos: A Life in Five Movements was produced throughout 2011 and 2012. Melissa Pihos also created PIHOS A Moving Biography in March 2011. Through film and dance, she explores aspects of her father's life and his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. In Summer 2012, She toured the production to various cities including Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Philadelphia and New York City as an Alzheimer's Association benefit events to increase awareness of the disease.

External links

• Pete Pihos at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Pete Pihos at the College Football Hall of Fame