Steve Hamas pugile

Steven Vincent Hamas (January 9, 1907 – October 11, 1974), also known as Hurricane and the Passaic Pounder, was an American football player and boxer. He was a multi-sport athlete at Pennsylvania State University in the late 1920s, receiving 12 varsity letters in football, boxing, lacrosse, basketball, and track and field. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) in 1929 and then turned to professional boxing, defeating former heavyweight champions Tommy Loughran and Max Schmeling. He compiled a 35–4–2 in 41 bouts.Hamas was born in 1907 in Passaic, New Jersey. His father was an immigrant from Austria-Hungary who operated a tavern. His mother died when Steve was a boy. The family moved to Wallington, New Jersey, and Hamas transferred from Passaic High School to East Rutherford High School where he had "a fabulous athletic career."He enrolled at Pennsylvania State University on a football scholarship. He played for Penn State Nittany Lions football team where coach Hugo Bezdek played him at center, tackle, end, and halfback, and dubbed him the "All-American substitute." He was a five-sport star at Penn State, competing in football, basketball, track and field (shot put, discus and hammer throw), and lacrosse. Though he had never boxed before, Penn State boxing coach Leo Houck recruited Hamas to spar with his roommate and the team's light heavyweight star, Marty McAndrews. His progress was slowed by a broken wrist, and he underwent an operation to straighten the wrist. He defeated "Dynamite Joe" LaVoti of Syracuse in his first meet and went on to win the national collegiate championship. Hamas was the first athlete in Penn State history to receive 12 varsity letters, and as of 2015, the feat had been matched only by Tubby Crawford in the 1940s.He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a fullback for the Orange Tornadoes. He appeared in 12 NFL games, five as a starter, during the 1929 season.