Although undersized for a lineman,
Dick DeLuca had quite a career with the Monaca Indians and the
Penn State Nittany Lions. A guard and linebacker, Dick earned three
letters in football at Monaca and picked up three more as an
outfielder for the baseball team. In football the tough-as-nails gridder was named All County
twice and All
WPIAL as a senior and
also received honorable mention All State and starred in the
East-West All Star Game. Recruited by Joe Paterno,
Dick’s quickness was utilized as a nose guard on defense and an
offensive lineman the rest of his days at Penn State.
Playing with the likes of Lenny Moore, Rosey Grier, and Milt Plum,
Dick proved to be highly effective on both sides of the ball.
When the Penn State coaching staff had to rework their offensive
line in Dick’s senior year, they called on the heady Monaca grad to
make a key switch, who went on to have a great senior season, being
recognized as All East honorable mention. All in all, Dick
was part of the Nittany Lion teams that had a record of 18-8-1
during his playing days. After several years in real estate and
insurance, Dick began coaching Little League baseball, which led him to junior high football and then varsity stints
as an assistant football coach at Freedom and Rochester. Dick was
head coach of the Rams during the 1985 season and also coached the
Rams baseball team for nine years, winning two section titles. Dick
was also a baseball umpire from 1978 to 1995.
Although undersized for a lineman,
Dick DeLuca had quite a career with the Monaca Indians and the
Penn State Nittany Lions. A guard and linebacker, Dick earned three
letters in football at Monaca and picked up three more as an
outfielder for the baseball team. In football the tough-as-nails gridder was named All County
twice and All
WPIAL as a senior and
also received honorable mention All State and starred in the
East-West All Star Game. Recruited by Joe Paterno,
Dick’s quickness was utilized as a nose guard on defense and an
offensive lineman the rest of his days at Penn State.
Playing with the likes of Lenny Moore, Rosey Grier, and Milt Plum,
Dick proved to be highly effective on both sides of the ball.
When the Penn State coaching staff had to rework their offensive
line in Dick’s senior year, they called on the heady Monaca grad to
make a key switch, who went on to have a great senior season, being
recognized as All East honorable mention. All in all, Dick
was part of the Nittany Lion teams that had a record of 18-8-1
during his playing days. After several years in real estate and
insurance, Dick began coaching Little League baseball, which led him to junior high football and then varsity stints
as an assistant football coach at Freedom and Rochester. Dick was
head coach of the Rams during the 1985 season and also coached the
Rams baseball team for nine years, winning two section titles. Dick
was also a baseball umpire from 1978 to 1995.