Rick DiBernardo

Last updated

Rick DiBernardo
No. 56, 53
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1964-06-12) June 12, 1964 (age 60)
Redondo Beach, California
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College: Notre Dame
Undrafted: 1986
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:19
Games started:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Player stats at PFR

Rick Anthony DiBernardo (born June 12, 1964) is a former American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). [1]

Contents

Early life

DiBernardo was born on June 12, 1964, in Redondo Beach, California. He attended Edison High School, where he played football and basketball. [2] In his junior season, DiBernardo set an Edison basketball record with 17 field goals against Costa Mesa High School. [3]

As a senior, DiBernardo was named to the South team in the Orange County All-Star basketball game. [4] Edison football coach Bill Workman said DiBernardo "could start at every position on our team except quarterback and tailback and it would be very close at those positions". [2] Parade magazine named DiBernardo to their All-America team, where the magazine's editors selected the best high school football players in America to the honorary team. [5] USC, UCLA, Nebraska, Washington, and Notre Dame all tried to recruit DiBernardo to their football programs. [6] In the visit with Notre Dame, head coach Gerry Faust talked to him about the university's "unique" atmosphere, its high academic standards and the Irish tradition". [7] After he visited the university's campus, DiBernardo chose to attend Notre Dame. [8]

Collegiate career

DiBernardo graduated with majors in marketing and psychology. [6]

Professional career

DiBernardo was not selected by a team in the 1986 NFL draft, where organizations choose athletes to play for their teams, but he later signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. [6] The Buccaneers traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for a twelfth-round draft pick in the following year's draft. [9] With the Cardinals, DiBernardo played as a reserve linebacker and as a long snapper on special teams. [6] He played in all 16 games that season, as the Cardinals finished with a 4–11–1 record. [1] [10] After his first season in the NFL, DiBernardo considered retiring from the game and going back to Notre Dame for a master's degree. He instead decided to attend Cardinals' training camp, where he learned that Mike Morris had been signed as the St. Louis long snapper. [6]

" [The Rams] said come over to (Ram Camp at Cal State Fullerton) tomorrow. I was just saying, 'There is a God. He is listening.' This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Friday was the greatest day ever."

DiBernardo on signing with the Rams [11]

On July 21, 1987, DiBernardo told Cardinals coach Gene Stallings he would be retiring from football, citing concerns about his job security. He showed an interest in a marketing or administration job. [6] On August 14, while he worked for a moving company, DiBernardo received a call from a marketing agency that offered a management position; he accepted. [11] Four hours later, the Los Angeles Rams offered him a tryout. DiBernardo signed with the Rams for "about minimum wage" as a reserve linebacker and long snapper. [11] He played in three games for Los Angeles, and had two fumble recoveries. [1] The Rams released DiBernardo along with nine other players in the beginning of September. [12]

Personal life

In 2008, DiBernardo worked as a mutual fund regional vice president in Orange County, CA and as a part-time college football referee. [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rick DiBernardo". Pro-Football-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Hamilton, Tom (September 9, 1981). "Rick DiBernardo Is Edison High School's Man for All Positions". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.(subscription required)
  3. ↑ "DiBernardo Sets Edison Mark". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. January 10, 1981. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.(subscription required)
  4. ↑ "Chang, DiBernardo Head South". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. May 14, 1982. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.(subscription required)
  5. ↑ McManis, Sam (January 29, 1982). "Dinner Can Wait at the DiBernardos". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.(subscription required)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McCurdie, Jim (August 9, 1987). "Not a Snap Decision: After One Season as an NFL Bit Player, Former Edison Star DiBernardo Had Enough of Football". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company.
  7. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (February 3, 1982). "DiBernardo Chooses Notre Dame". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.(subscription required)
  8. ↑ Faust, Gerry; Love, Steve (2002). The Golden Dream. Sports Publishing LLC. pp. 90–91. ISBN   978-1-58261-608-7.
  9. ↑ Zier, Patrick (April 14, 1987). "Tampa Bay gets Turk from Steelers". The Ledger. Halifax Media Group.
  10. ↑ "1986 St. Louis Cardinals". Pro-Football-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 Ludovise, Barbie (August 18, 1987). "Rams Sign Ex-Edison Star DiBernardo". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company.
  12. ↑ "Transactions". Associated Press. September 2, 1987.
  13. ↑ Eichelberger, Curtis (November 25, 2008). "Football Ref Says Managing Money Prepares Him for Fans Catcalls". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P.
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