| No. 58, 52, 41 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1956-08-23)August 23, 1956 (age 69) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 228 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Bernard(Los Angeles) |
| College | USC |
| NFL draft | 1978: 7th round, 171st overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Mario Raymond Celotto (born August 23, 1956) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans.
Born inLos Angeles, California, and raised inRancho Palos Verdes, California, to Ray and Cecilia E. Celotto, owners of Dreamland Bedding Corporation, Celotto graduated fromSt. Bernard High School and playedcollege football at theUniversity of Southern California from 1974 to 1977. During the game against rivalNotre Dame in his 1977 senior season, Celotto once recovered a fumble by Terry Eurick of Notre Dame at the Notre Dame 5-yard line and scored a touchdown.[1] He was selected in the 7th round (171st overall) of the1978 NFL draft by theBuffalo Bills.[2][3] He played for theOakland Raiders for the 1980 season, when the Raiders wonSuper Bowl XV; the next season, he played for the Raiders,Los Angeles Rams, andBaltimore Colts. After 1981, Celotto left the NFL due to a knee injury.[4]
After retiring from football, Celotto founded Humboldt Brewing Company in 1987.[5] In 1997, Humboldt Brewing merged with Mendocino Brewing.[6]
Mario Celotto met Julia Lendl, who played track and volleyball at USC, and married her after she graduated with a degree in physical education. They had two sons.[5] His younger son, Tonio Dante Celotto, played college football at theUniversity of Oregon in the 2007 and 2008 seasons and graduated fromPiedmont High School in 2007.[4][7] After Julia divorced Mario, he married Deirdre Taylor Haizlip, group account director at Carol H. Williams Advertising. Their wedding took place on May 21, 2005 atCharlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands and officiated by The Rev. Skip Sikora fromSan Francisco.[3] In 2009, Tonio Celotto left the team and said that he was interested in joining theLos Angeles Police Department.[8]
On February 4, 2011, arranged by the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Celotto visited a physics class inYerba Buena High School inSan Jose, California to demonstrate howNewton's laws of motion apply to football.[9][10]