Gino Marchetti walked over to Raymond Berry and said: “Good to see you, big guy.”
Marchetti then asked Berry if he planned to attend the Hall of Fame ceremonies later this year in Canton, Ohio. They don?t need to buy tickets: Berry and Marchetti are both Hall of Famers.
Marchetti and Berry, former stars for the Baltimore Colts, were in Laurel on Saturday to sign autographs at Sports Cards Heroes.
Born near Charleston, W.Va., Marchetti moved to California with his family when he was a young boy.
“Thank goodness,” said Marchetti, 79, aware that the economic conditions were better in California than the Mountain State in the 1930s.
The former defensive end now lives in West Chester, Pa., but he has good memories of his time in Baltimore.
“The whole experience was fantastic. When we won the championship in 1958, that was the most exciting memory,” said Marchetti, after signing autographs for more than one hour.
Marchetti was injured in the closing minutes of the famous 1958 NFL championship game, which the Colts won in overtime against the New York Giants.
Marchetti said his father, Ernest, always told him to be careful when he played football. In fact, his father was hesitant to let him play when he was younger.
“Gino, whatever you do, stay out of the way,” was the advice that his father gave him.
Marchetti was the No. 2 draft pick of the New York Yanks in 1952, and then the team moved to Dallas. He joined the Colts in time for the 1953 season, and he was named to a then-record 11 straight Pro Bowl games.
He missed the Pro Bowl game after his injury in the 1958 NFL title contest.
Marchetti was named the top defensive end for the first 50 years of the NFL. He was a fearless pass rusher, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, and he would attract two or three opposing linemen in an effort to keep him out of the pocket.
And sometimes that strategystill didn?t work.
THE MARCHETTI FILE
Years with Colts: 1953-64, 1965
Position: Defensive end
Year born: 1927
Did you know? Marchetti was named all-NFL nine times, from 1956 to 1964 … The Colts had a retirement party for Marchetti at the close of his career, and his mother made a special trip to be there in person.
