Former Philadelphia Eagle Dies in Upper Township
Bob Pellegrini was a very successful football player. He went from Shannock Valley (PA) High School to the University of Maryland, where he played on the 1953 team that won both the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and the NCAA National Championship. Pellegrini was selected an All-American on 1955 and was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend in 1996.
Later, the talented college center would play mostly defense for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in a nine-year National Football League career. As he did at Maryland, he helped the Eagles win their only NFL title in 1960.
In between his success as a football player and his death last week at the age of 73, Pellegrini invested some of his time and talents in the Ocean City High School football program. His son, Bob, was a solid player for the Raiders, leading to that involvement.
“I can’t recall when I first met Bob,” said Ed Woolley, the highly successful OCHS football coach who later became one of the finest administrators in the history of the school district. “I think it was a couple of years before his son, Bobby, started to play football at OCHS. He had an older son who was in one of my history classes. Anyway, Bob was an original. He was a throwback to the old days of football. And he became a great supporter of our program – always attending the Archie Harris weekly meetings. I remember being at a scrimmage in Haddon Heights. I turned around and he is on the sideline coaching the kids. I say ‘coaching’ because, as I recall, he was giving them some tips on how to recover a fumble and what goes on at the bottom of pile.”
In addition to helping Ocean City players with their football skills Pellegrini, who was also an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins, made other contributions to the Raiders. “He arranged and paid for one of the Maryland assistants to speak at our year end Archie Harris banquet,” said Woolley. “He and Harry Vanderslice had a wonderful relationship and I greatly enjoyed being around them, especially when they started to talk about Philadelphia and the Eagles.”
Woolley, who was South Jersey Back of the Year his senior year at Pitman and went on to play in the Rose Bowl for Michigan, learned first hand how popular Pellegrini was at his alma mater. “Bob was a great University of Maryland football player – an All American,” Woolley said. “One year he took Tony Galante and me down for the weekend to see Maryland’s Spring Game. It was a trip that, when I think about it, always brings a smile to my face. “First of all, the drive from Ocean City to College Park is normally about three to three and one-half hours. I know it well having been there for field hockey for my daughter, Abbey. Our trip with Bob driving took 2 hours and 20 minutes –tops!
“Once we got there it was like we were with a king. Wherever we went, walking the campus, out for dinner, our hotel, etc., they all knew Bob. People would see him and yell, ‘hey Pelle’. He would, of course, respond to each of them like they were his long lost friend. I don’t think we paid for dinner as the owners of both restaurants insisted on treating us. Bob had the owner of the hotel where we staying believing he was the owner of the casino where he worked.”
Pellegrini was a casino executive for many years before retiring. He used that connection to give Woolley and members of his staff an unforgettable night. “I fondly remember the annual Brooks-Irvine Football Banquet,” said Woolley. “At that time the event was held at the old Cherry Hill Inn. Bob had made plans for us to go via a limo from his casino. We had Willie Mosconi, the great pool player, with us. And, of course, our driver was this six-foot, strikingly beautiful blonde. “When we got to the Cherry Hill Inn he had the limo driver take us right up to the front door. Out we jumped after our driver opened the doors. And, as she was helping us on with our suit jackets, up walked several of my fellow Cape-Atlantic League coaches – Tony Surace, Ken Williams and Alex Konick. Needless-to-say, the look on their faces was worth the trip.
“Bob was great.”
Clearly – both on the field and off.
Later, the talented college center would play mostly defense for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in a nine-year National Football League career. As he did at Maryland, he helped the Eagles win their only NFL title in 1960.
In between his success as a football player and his death last week at the age of 73, Pellegrini invested some of his time and talents in the Ocean City High School football program. His son, Bob, was a solid player for the Raiders, leading to that involvement.
“I can’t recall when I first met Bob,” said Ed Woolley, the highly successful OCHS football coach who later became one of the finest administrators in the history of the school district. “I think it was a couple of years before his son, Bobby, started to play football at OCHS. He had an older son who was in one of my history classes. Anyway, Bob was an original. He was a throwback to the old days of football. And he became a great supporter of our program – always attending the Archie Harris weekly meetings. I remember being at a scrimmage in Haddon Heights. I turned around and he is on the sideline coaching the kids. I say ‘coaching’ because, as I recall, he was giving them some tips on how to recover a fumble and what goes on at the bottom of pile.”
In addition to helping Ocean City players with their football skills Pellegrini, who was also an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins, made other contributions to the Raiders. “He arranged and paid for one of the Maryland assistants to speak at our year end Archie Harris banquet,” said Woolley. “He and Harry Vanderslice had a wonderful relationship and I greatly enjoyed being around them, especially when they started to talk about Philadelphia and the Eagles.”
Woolley, who was South Jersey Back of the Year his senior year at Pitman and went on to play in the Rose Bowl for Michigan, learned first hand how popular Pellegrini was at his alma mater. “Bob was a great University of Maryland football player – an All American,” Woolley said. “One year he took Tony Galante and me down for the weekend to see Maryland’s Spring Game. It was a trip that, when I think about it, always brings a smile to my face. “First of all, the drive from Ocean City to College Park is normally about three to three and one-half hours. I know it well having been there for field hockey for my daughter, Abbey. Our trip with Bob driving took 2 hours and 20 minutes –tops!
“Once we got there it was like we were with a king. Wherever we went, walking the campus, out for dinner, our hotel, etc., they all knew Bob. People would see him and yell, ‘hey Pelle’. He would, of course, respond to each of them like they were his long lost friend. I don’t think we paid for dinner as the owners of both restaurants insisted on treating us. Bob had the owner of the hotel where we staying believing he was the owner of the casino where he worked.”
Pellegrini was a casino executive for many years before retiring. He used that connection to give Woolley and members of his staff an unforgettable night. “I fondly remember the annual Brooks-Irvine Football Banquet,” said Woolley. “At that time the event was held at the old Cherry Hill Inn. Bob had made plans for us to go via a limo from his casino. We had Willie Mosconi, the great pool player, with us. And, of course, our driver was this six-foot, strikingly beautiful blonde. “When we got to the Cherry Hill Inn he had the limo driver take us right up to the front door. Out we jumped after our driver opened the doors. And, as she was helping us on with our suit jackets, up walked several of my fellow Cape-Atlantic League coaches – Tony Surace, Ken Williams and Alex Konick. Needless-to-say, the look on their faces was worth the trip.
“Bob was great.”
Clearly – both on the field and off.
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