 Moselle on a 1952 football card | |||||||||||
| No. 92, 93, 47, 24 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back,Halfback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1926-06-23)June 23, 1926 Gile, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died: | August 19, 2010(2010-08-19) (aged 84) Superior, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Hurley (WI) | ||||||||||
| College: | University of Wisconsin–Superior | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1950: 23rd round, 299th pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Dominic Angelo Moselle (June 23, 1926 – August 19, 2010) was anAmerican footballdefensive back andhalfback who played in theNational Football League (NFL) during the early 1950s.
Moselle grew up in Wisconsin and attendedUniversity of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) starting in 1946 after serving two years in theU.S. Army duringWorld War II. Playing as a halfback for the school's football team, he set a number of records, including most rushing yards in a career and most touchdowns in a game, season and career. He was the team's captain and was chosen as an all-conference player. The NFL'sCleveland Browns selected him in the later rounds of the1950 draft after he was recommended to Cleveland head coachPaul Brown by the coach of one of his opponents in college. The Browns won theNFL championship in 1950, but Moselle was traded the following year to theGreen Bay Packers. He played two seasons in Green Bay and one season for thePhiladelphia Eagles before playing a final season in theCanadian Football League for theCalgary Stampeders in 1955.
After ending his playing career, Moselle got a master's degree in education and coached atWabash College for three years. He then moved back to UWS as a teacher and coach, staying at his alma mater until he retired in 1986. He was inducted into the UWS hall of fame in 1973 and into the Superior Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Moselle died in 2010.
Moselle was born inGile, Wisconsin and attendedHurley High School, where he played basketball, baseball and football.[1] After graduating in 1943, he joined theU.S. Army and served inGuam andHawaii duringWorld War II between 1944 and 1945.[1] When the war ended, he enrolled at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Superior, then known as Superior State Teachers College, where he studied health and physical education.[1] Playing as ahalfback on the school's Yellowjackets football team between 1946 and 1949, Moselle set school records for rushing yards in a career, with 2,652 on 491 carries.[1] He also set a single-season school rushing record in 1948 with 962 yards.[1] He still holds the record for most touchdowns in a game, season and career, as well as for kickoff returns for touchdowns.[1] He was the football team's captain, and was named an all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player in football and basketball.[1]
Moselle was selected by theCleveland Browns of theNational Football League (NFL) in the 23rd round of the1950 draft after he was recommended to head coachPaul Brown by one of his opposing college coaches.[2][3] He was the first player from the Wisconsin State University system to be drafted into the NFL.[1] In the Browns, Moselle joined a team transitioning into the NFL after four years and four championship victories in theAll-America Football Conference.[4] Led byquarterbackOtto Graham,fullbackMarion Motley andendsDante Lavelli andMac Speedie, the Browns finished the season with a 10–2win–loss record and won theNFL championship over theLos Angeles Rams.[5][6] Moselle returned kicks and served as a backup halfback for the Browns, rushing for 39 yards.[3] He also played as adefensive back.[3][7]
Brown traded Moselle to theGreen Bay Packers in 1951 along withlinebackerWalt Michaels and several other players in exchange for the rights totackleBob Gain.[8] Moselle played the following two seasons for Green Bay, but the team finished no better than fourth place in the NFL's National division.[3][9][10] After a season away from the NFL, he played with thePhiladelphia Eagles in 1954.[3] TheCalgary Stampeders of theCanadian Football League bought Moselle from the Eagles in 1955, and he played there for one season.[11]
Moselle earned a master's degree in education fromIndiana State University after his playing career, and then spent three years teaching and coaching football and basketball atWabash College inCrawfordsville, Indiana.[1][12] He resigned in 1961 to take a job at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, his alma mater.[12] He taught physical education there and coached the school's football, baseball, basketball and track teams.[1] Moselle resigned as the basketball coach in 1970 to devote more of his time to teaching.[13] He retired in 1986.[1]
Moselle was inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Superior hall of fame in 1973 and the Superior Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.[1] He and his wife, Patricia O'Keefe, had three children.[1] He died in 2010.[1]
