Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1934-1936
Place of Birth: Dos Palos, CA
Date of Birth: Mar 19, 1913
Place of Death: Oakland, CA
Date of Death: Jul 29, 1986
Jersey Number: 28
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
High School: San Jose, CA (Bellarmine HS)
According to all the experts, little Santa Clara was a decided underdog going against Louisiana State in the 1937 Sugar Bowl. However, Santa Clara was led by a genius quarterback, Nello "Flash" Falaschi. The Broncos took the lead against the undefeated LSU Tigers on a Falaschi TD pass. Falaschi later sealed the Bronco victory by recovering a fumble in the end zone for the final Santa Clara score in the 21-14 upset. The victory left Santa Clara with a final 8-1 record with the only loss coming against Sammy Baugh and Texas Christian. Falaschi received considerable All-America recognition following the 1936 season. The All-America Board of Football had this to say about Falaschi: "No coach in the world of football would dare pick another quarterback. Brill & Pinckert may rate with Falaschi in the art of blocking, but no modern player approaches his devastating performance. When needed, he can deliver yardage as a ball carrier, but his vicious blocking and generalship are the factors largely responsible for Santa Clara's season." Falaschi later played professionally with the New York Giants before establishing a construction company in Oakland, California.
