Nello Falaschi

David Hegler
Aug 22
3 min read

Football is a gritty game where some of its biggest contributors almost never touch the ball. Back in the single wing days of the game, Nello Falaschi stood out as one of the very best blocking quarterbacks in the game. Although he only scored three touchdowns in 14 years as a prep, collegian and pro, his stout blocking and relentless pursuit of the opposing ball carriers set the tone for Santa Clara's unlikely and historic run towards the 1937 Sugar Bowl. This is his story.

The Early Years

Nello Donald Falaschi was born on March 19, 1913 in Dos Palos, California. After relocating to San Jose, he briefly attended Santa Clara High School and Los Gatos High School before transferring to Bellarmine College Preparatory for his final three years. Falaschi starred in basketball and baseball at Bellarmine before finding his calling on the gridiron. He made enough of an impact in Bellarmine's athletic community to be inducted into its Hall of Fame.

After graduating in 1933, Falaschi went to nearby Santa Clara College where Broncos coach Maurice "Clipper" Jones immediately inserted him in the starting lineup as a fullback. Falaschi learned a lot in his two years as a starter, but grew concerned with the trajectory with the program after it finished 3-6 in 1935 and Jones left for Villanova. In his place stepped Broncos line coach, Buck Shaw.

A Lasting Legacy

Coaching the trenches often gives one a unique perspective of a team's most dire needs. While working three years on the practice field together, Buck Shaw saw a natural blocking ability from Nello Falaschi and recognized the fact that he could make a natural blocking quarterback.

Shaw was proven correct right from the start as Falaschi threw the first touchdown pass of the 1936 season to Manny Gomez in a 13-0 win over Stanford. The rest of the regular season played out very much like the opening game, with a suffocating defense and and opportunistic special teams. In Week 3, Santa Clara blocked four kicks in the first quarter of a 15-7 win over USF. Two weeks later, the Broncos burst onto the national landscape with a resounding 12-0 win over the previously unbeaten and unscored upon Auburn Tigers at Kezar Stadium.

Up the rankings the Broncos went, climbing as high as sixth in America when they faced off against 16th ranked TCU in mid December. Although Nello Falaschi returned a Sammy Baugh interception all the way to the four yard line, Santa Clara couldn't punch it in, losing to the Horned Frogs 9-0 to end the regular season on a low note.

The Broncos didn't have much time to mourn as they were invited to the Sugar Bowl just weeks later. Waiting for them was the second ranked team in the nation, the LSU Tigers. Falaschi got the Broncos on the board first by connecting with Gomez. Back and forth the two teams went, with the undersized Broncos outpacing the Tigers by just enough.

Finally, with the game tied at 14, the Broncos picked off another Tigers pass, setting up a golden opportunity. End Frank Smith took full advantage of the moment and lateraled the ball to Nello Falaschi just as he was taken to the ground, watching as the All American blocking quarterback rumbled down the sideline for the winning touchdown, ending the greatest season in Santa Clara football history in style.

Later Life

After graduating, Nello Falaschi spent the 1937 season as the Broncos backfield coach, figuring that he would stay in that role for a while. However, towards the end of the season he got a $5,000 offer from the New York Giants that he couldn't refuse.

Much like his college experience, Falaschi didn't carry the ball much in New York, toting the rock either through the air or on the ground a total of nine times over four years. Still, he almost never left the field, blocking and tackling well enough to be named an All Star in 1938 and 1941 and helped the Giants beat the Packers 23-17 in the 1938 NFL Championship Game.

At the onset of World War II, Falaschi entered the Navy in 1942 playing for the St. Marys Pre Flight squad before his deployment. After the war, Falaschi returned home to coach the Broncos for a year. He spent the remainder of his working days as a contractor in Oakland before passing away on July 29, 1986. Nello Falaschi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971, becoming the first person from a Catholic university west of Notre Dame to be inducted.

References

Nello Falaschi

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