Vince Banonis

Bio

An outstanding lineman who won All-City recognition at Detroit's Catholic Central High School, Vince Banonis started playing football centering a helmet because his high school had only two footballs. Staying in his hometown he went to the University of Detroit where he was named a 1941 All-America. During his three years in college his teams went 19-7-1. In a game against Villanova he made seven consecutive tackles. His greatest play of all was against Oklahoma State. Banonis centered the ball, ran down-field, took a lateral pass from a teammate, then threw a lateral pass himself, and blocked out two men so another teammate could score a touchdown. After his collegiate career ended in 1941 he was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals. In 1943, Banonis won all-service All-American honors at Iowa Pre-Flight before spending two years in the Navy. A versatile athlete, during his college days he was the school's handball champion as well as the right fielder for the Titan baseball team. In a ten-season professional career, Banonis played on three world championship teams, first with the 1947 Chicago Cardinals and later with the 1952 and 1953 Detroit Lions.

Career Highlights

• 1941 First Team All-America