Chuck Fusina
| Date of birth | May 31, 1957 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| College | Penn State |
| NFL draft | 1979 / Round: 5/ Pick 133 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1979–1981 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1983–1985 | Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (USFL) |
| 1986 | Green Bay Packers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards |
1978 Maxwell Award 1978 Heisman Trophy Runner-Up 1984 TSN USFL All-Star Team 1984 USFL Most Outstanding Quarterback 1984 Sporting News USFL P.O.Y. 1984 USFL Championship Game MVP 2015 Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Inductee |
| Career stats | |
| |
Charles Anthony Fusina (born May 31, 1957) is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL) for seven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He played college football for Penn State University, and was recognized as an All-American. Fusina played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers of the NFL, and the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the USFL.
Early years
Fusina was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played quarterback for the Pittsburgh area Sto-Rox High School in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, where his old football jersey is on display outside of the gymnasium.
College career
Fusina capped an outstanding career at Penn State by winning the 1978 Maxwell Award, All-America honors and finishing runner-up in the 1978 Heisman Trophy balloting. He led the Nittany Lions to a 29-3 mark as a starter, including an 11-0 regular season in 1978. He passed for 1,859 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Penn State in 1979. He also earned an MBA from La Salle University in 1988.
Professional career
At 6'1" 195-lb., Fusina was a 5th round draft pick (#133 overall) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1979 NFL Draft. He spent his first three professional seasons as back-up to Doug Williams. In 1983, he left for the fledgling USFL. Fusina signed with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars where he blossomed under coach Jim Mora. In his three seasons with the team, he passed for over 10,000 yards and led all USFL quarterbacks with 66 touchdowns and a QB rating of 88.6 and led the Stars to back-to-back USFL titles in 1984 and 1985. He was named MVP of the 1984 USFL Championship Game. When the league folded in August 1986, Fusina returned to the NFL for one season with the Green Bay Packers.
Personal
Fusina has been an instructor at the Purcell Quarterback School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He and his wife, Jacquelyn live in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and his children Matt and Shannon currently live in Washington, DC. Shannon currently works as a science teacher at St. Stevens and St. Agnes high school.
Hall of Fame
In 2015 Fusina was elected to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (PSHF) along with his head coach Joe Paterno and fellow teammate, kicker Matt Bahr.
External links
- All-Time USFL Team
- "Packers Sign Fusina" The New York Times, October 2, 1986.