Lt. Ray Spratt (L) Capt. Lusiak (R)                                       Professional Footballs Hall of Shame
               Measuring World Record Hand Grenade
                Toss by Al Blozis (C) at Ft. Benning, Georgia (1944)
 

     I recently asked my three sons, all involved in high school and college athletics, if they ever heard of Al Blozis. They replied,  “who’s Al Blozis?”
     Since over 50 years has gone by, it is not surprising that this generation has never heard his name nor have they any knowledge of his athletic accomplishments.  However, “who’s Al Blozis” is simply not a befitting epitaph for a tremendous athlete who gave his life for his country.
     At Georgetown University, he was the No. 1  in the world in the shot put and discus. During his collegiate career he accumulated 106 metals in track and field.  He was also an All American in college and an All Pro with the New York Giants as a football lineman.  The Olympic Games were canceled because of the war, that denied him sports immortality in track and field.  His professional football career was also cut short to about two and a half years. However in those days these athletes played offense, defense, and on special teams in each game. This could be considered playing at least twice as long.
     Al was 6ft. 6inches tall, and was a trimmed down 260 pounds. This was very large for a lineman in those days. He was also strong and coordinate and was the first fast big fast man in Professional Football.
     When Al joined the army, he was originally assigned to Walter Reed Hospital in the physical rehabilitation unit, but he wanted to make a larger contribution to the war effort so he volunteered for combat infantry officers training school at Fort Benning Ga.  I knew Al well during that period because he was assigned to my platoon and I was his tactical officer.
     At that time Yank Magazine contained an article that Al's world record throwing a hand grenade of 75 yards had been broken. Another soldier had tossed one 85 yards. I asked Al about that and he said that he was tossing a practice grenade [a piece of iron shaped like a hand grenade]  at Walter Reed Hospital. A reporter asked him how far the grenade was thrown, Al replied “ Oh about 75 yards “ and it was written up as a worlds record. He further stated that he could actually throw that piece of iron 100 yards. With his permission I arranged with the hand grenade instructors for Al to go for a new worlds record. This happened four weeks into their training. During that time Al practiced a few times. I would step off a good 100 yards and on several occasions He threw that thing over my head. Incredibly, that's longer than a football field.  However on the day of his try, the instructor came out with a real hand grenade. The fuse had been dudded so it wouldn't explode. This was much smaller and lighter than the piece of iron. In addition Al had to pull the pin and the handle flies off in flight. Under these more restrictive condition, he made 4 throws, all exceeded 90 yards and he set the worlds record at 94 yards, 2 feet, 4 and ½ inches.

Al was commissioned an infantry Lt. In the fall of 1944. He went home, visited his parents, and then on to New York where the greatest lineman of the era, played his last game with the New York Giants. Overseas, he was assigned to a unit fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.  Arthur Daley, a sports columnist in New York described his last day.

     Al Blozis never returned home. He lies buried in an American  Cemetery in Europe.
     As an amateur self taught artist, I painted Al lying in the snow at the Battle of the Bulge. It was exhibited in the art section in Bakersfield at the Kern County Fair. Those kind people stated the effort contained a great deal of emotion and awarded it a first place blue ribbon in that category of amateur oils.  The last sentence in the written part states “ If a great All Pro, who gave his life for his country, is not worthy to be selected to the Hall of Fame, Then who is ?
     A very talented NBC broadcaster Fred Roggin used to show goofs in athletic events and called it The Hall of Shame.  Influenced by Mr. Roggin, I entitled the painting “Professional Footballs Hall of Shame’ It will remain that way until this oversight is corrected and Al is inducted.  Then I’ll change the title to “Hall of Fame.”