Pete Pihos
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| No. 35 | |||||||||
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| Position: | End | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | October 22, 1923 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Orlando, Florida | ||||||||
| Date of death: | August 16, 2011 (aged 87) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Indiana | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1945 / Round: 5 / Pick: 41 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Receptions: | 373 |
|---|---|
| Receiving yards: | 5,619 |
| Touchdowns: | 61 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
| Pete Pihos | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 U.S. Army
|
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
| Rank |
 2nd Lieutenant
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| Unit |
 35th Infantry Division
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| Battles/wars |
World War II |
World War II
Peter Louis Pihos (October 22, 1923 – August 16, 2011) was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a high school junior when his mother moved the family to Chicago. His father was a murder victim, and when a suspect was acquitted, Pete decided to become a lawyer. He was just one semester short of a law degree when he became disenchanted with the idea.
Pihos served in the United States Army during World War II in the 35th Infantry Division under George S. Patton. He took part in the D-Day campaign. Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant on the battlefield, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star medals for bravery. He was quoted in a documentary film as always caring for the men who served with him.
Pihos attended Austin High School in Chicago, then was an All-American at Indiana University, as an end. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1945 NFL Draft by the Eagles, but two years of military service prevented him from joining the team until 1947. During his nine seasons of play, he missed just one game.
Immediately after Pihos joined the Eagles, the team marched to its first divisional championship. In the playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Eastern Division crown, he blocked a punt to set up the first touchdown in the Eagles' 21–0 win. Philadelphia won three straight divisional championships and then back-to-back NFL titles by shutout scores. In 1948, the Eagles defeated the Chicago Cardinals, 7–0. One year later, Pihos caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the Eagles' 14–0 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
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