466:, his final campaign. After missing time with successive knee and ankle injuries, a shoulder injury suffered in practice on October 4 forced the Packers to place him on the injured reserve list, effectively shutting him down. The injury resulted in nerve damage, with numbness extending from his neck to his fingers and leaving him unable to lift his right arm fully two months after the incident.
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Barzilauskas quickly gained a reputation for brashness as a professional rookie, declaring in one early interview that "There are certain things that have disappointed me about the NFL. One of them is the reputation of some of the players. Some of them are living off their reputations — they aren't
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The 6'6" Barzilauskas was one of the most formidable defensive linemen of his era in college football. Listed at a playing weight of 265 during his 1972 junior year, opponents claimed he was bigger in the flesh. One opponent declared, "He was more like 295. I don't think I'll face a bigger man all
488:, called Barzo's Blitz. He also established an exercise facility, Barzo's Fitness Center. He was a partner in numerous and various other business enterprises, including Realco and Small Town Properties (real estate), First Health Care and Advanced Medical, Inc. (health care), two
473:"If it's over, it's over, there's nothing I can do about it," he told a New York journalist by phone from his home in Indiana. "I'd like to play again but I know I'm not going to try to go on and on if I'm going to be injured forever. It just isn't worth it."
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in that state. Although he had already grown to a height of 6'6" and a weight of 275 pounds in high school, Barzilauskas was not widely sought after by collegiate football programs — a fact which he later attributed to the weak status of his academy team.
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Barzilauskas was inducted into the
Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the long-time president of the Indiana National Football League Players Association (INFLPA) and president of the Indiana chapter of the National Football Foundation.
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from the Jets, the team was unwilling to take any chances. In April 1974, Barzilauskas was inked to a contract for $ 650,000, a record amount paid to a rookie in the NFL at that date, exceeding the landmark amount paid by the team to quarterback
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Barzilauskas described the disabling practice injury as "no big hit" and "a freak thing." However, he acknowledged "it will never be 100 percent, and there's a chance if I get hit again, I'd lose use of the arm forever."
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395:. As such he was the third-highest professional draft pick in the history of Indiana University — status which remained true at the time of his death. Barzilauskas was also selected in the second round by
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Barzilauskas never saw game action again again. His career ended after having played 70 NFL contests, during which he recorded a total of 16.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position.
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After retiring from the NFL, Barzilauskas became deeply involved in commercial activities. Even while he was an NFL player he was proprietor of a bar in downtown
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After his retirement from professional football, Barzilauskas was active as the proprietor of various businesses in his adopted hometown of
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The attention paid by the WFL provided
Barzilauskas with significant contract leverage. After the Stars signed away defensive lineman
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that tough. I'm a little surprised, I thought the NFL would be tougher than it has been so far."
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season unless it's at Notre Dame. You line up across from him and all you see are his knuckles."
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The 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) defensive tackle had a successful rookie campaign in the
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772:"Carl Barzilauskas, Jets 1974 First-Round Pick & 4-Year DT Starter, Dies at 72"
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on June 6, 1978, for fourth- and fifth-round selections (98th and 125th overall —
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Barzilauskas was selected in the first round (sixth pick overall) by the
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287:(March 19, 1951 – December 20, 2023) was an American professional
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in
Waterbury and completed a one year enrollment at the private
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Zion Brown, "Former IU Football Star
Barzilauskas Dies at 72,"
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Players of
American football from Waterbury, Connecticut
610:
Street and Smith's
Official Pro Football Yearbook, 1974,
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Barzilauskas played for the Jets until the trade to the
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Pat Truly, "Brothers Guy, Vic
Morriss to Face Off,"
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He was immediately thrust into the starting lineup.
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827:Career statistics and player information from
334:Carl Barzilauskas was born March 19, 1951, in
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492:franchises (food service), and A-1 Printing.
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798:"Barzilauskas's Attitude Admired by Winner"
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642:"Jets Send Barzilauskas to the Packers"
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556:"Jets Don't Expect to Demolish Colts,"
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1596:American people of Lithuanian descent
1187:New York Jets first-round draft picks
869:1974 NFL draft first-round selections
7:
16:American football player (1951–2023)
1601:American football defensive tackles
730:"To Jets, Barzilauskas Means Hope,"
796:Crass, Murray (January 30, 1974).
770:Lange, Randy (December 28, 2023).
668:"1979 NFL Draft Pick Transactions"
14:
1606:Indiana Hoosiers football players
90:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
285:Carl Joseph "Barzo" Barzilauskas
355:He was recruited by head coach
361:Indiana University Bloomington
183:Career highlights and awards
1:
702:"Barzilauskas' Career at End?
746:"Carl Barzilauskas Obituary"
626:Jets' Rookie Doesn't Scare,"
719:pro-football-reference.com/
340:John F. Kennedy High School
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98:280 lb (127 kg)
572:Ft. Worth Star-Telegram,
375:team from 1970 to 1973.
297:National Football League
21:American football player
672:Pro Sports Transactions
596:January 5, 2024, p. 9B.
295:for six seasons in the
833:Pro Football Reference
735:Oct. 20, 1974, p. 228.
707:Dec. 11, 1979, p. 102.
574:Sept. 26, 1972, p. C1.
561:Oct. 18, 1974, p. C12.
559:Baltimore Evening Sun,
336:Waterbury, Connecticut
63:Waterbury, Connecticut
1611:New York Jets players
545:Feb. 20, 1970, p. 57.
455:respectively) in the
401:World Football League
219:Career NFL statistics
733:New York Daily News,
717:"Carl Barzilauskas,"
631:Oct. 5, 1974, p. 3C.
629:Ft. Lauderdale News,
502:Bloomington, Indiana
486:Bloomington, Indiana
319:Bloomington, Indiana
191:PFWA All-Rookie Team
80:Bloomington, Indiana
45:Personal information
880:Ed "Too Tall" Jones
523:from 1947 to 1951.
490:Colorado Steakhouse
480:Life after football
383:Professional career
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802:The New York Times
646:The New York Times
594:Indianapolis Star,
543:Indianapolis News,
513:Fritz Barzilauskas
363:, where he played
103:Career information
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305:Green Bay Packers
291:player who was a
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779:. Retrieved
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753:. Retrieved
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428:
424:
421:
412:John Elliott
409:
386:
377:
354:
333:
316:
307:. He played
284:
283:
270:
200:Second-team
108:High school:
75:(2023-12-20)
18:
1591:2023 deaths
1586:1951 births
1560:McDonald IV
1540:Vera-Tucker
1525:Q. Williams
1505:L. Williams
1200:(1960–1962)
1145:Doug Lowrey
1120:Eugene Bird
1108:Ron Rydalch
1093:Wayne Jones
1085:Gary Baccus
1081:Roscoe Word
1076:Godwin Turk
1000:Steve Riley
990:Bill Kollar
965:Reuben Gant
955:Woody Green
935:Barty Smith
900:John Dutton
885:Bo Matthews
807:February 3,
677:February 3,
652:February 3,
453:Stan Blinka
330:Early years
202:All-Big Ten
114:(Waterbury)
1580:Categories
1555:J. Johnson
1495:Richardson
1430:Br. Thomas
1415:Pennington
1395:K. Johnson
1365:Bl. Thomas
1126:John Ricca
1100:Greg Gantt
1089:Bill Wyman
1056:selections
995:Roger Carr
980:Lynn Swann
910:J. V. Cain
890:John Hicks
527:References
417:Joe Namath
405:1974 draft
371:' varsity
129:NFL draft:
56:1951-03-19
30:No. 77, 75
1550:G. Wilson
1535:Z. Wilson
1480:Wilkerson
1475:K. Wilson
1435:Robertson
1129:John Tate
1117:Sam Baker
950:Don Goode
915:Ed O'Neil
419:in 1965.
357:John Pont
325:Biography
35:Position:
1490:Milliner
1460:Gholston
1445:Ferguson
1375:M. Jones
1370:Mitchell
1310:L. Jones
1235:Nowatzke
1215:Stephens
373:football
369:Hoosiers
311:for the
303:and the
289:football
119:College:
1565:Fashanu
1545:Gardner
1520:Darnold
1470:Sanchez
1450:Mangold
1410:Abraham
1400:Farrior
1390:Douglas
1360:Lageman
1355:Cadigan
1325:O'Brien
1265:Riggins
1220:Stovall
829:NFL.com
391:in the
367:on the
123:Indiana
95:Weight:
87:Height:
1530:Becton
1485:Coples
1465:Keller
1345:Haight
1335:Faurot
1330:Carter
1320:Crable
1315:McNeil
1295:Powell
1275:Taylor
1270:Barkum
1260:Tannen
1245:Seiler
1240:Yearby
1230:Namath
750:Legacy
612:p. 33.
82:, U.S.
65:, U.S.
1515:Adams
1500:Pryor
1455:Revis
1440:Vilma
1420:Becht
1405:Ellis
1385:Brady
1380:Glenn
1305:Lyons
1280:Owens
1255:Foley
1250:White
1225:Snell
1210:Brown
229:Sacks
70:Died:
50:Born:
1425:Moss
1350:Vick
1340:Toon
1300:Ward
1290:Todd
809:2023
783:2023
757:2023
679:2023
654:2023
519:and
451:and
234:16.5
206:1973
195:1974
170:1979
166:1978
156:1977
152:1974
133:1974
1510:Lee
359:to
272:PFR
1582::
800:.
774:.
748:.
687:^
670:.
644:.
617:^
601:^
579:^
459:.
407:.
321:.
1178:e
1171:t
1164:v
1039:e
1032:t
1025:v
861:e
854:t
847:v
811:.
785:.
759:.
681:.
656:.
256:1
253::
245:5
242::
231::
208:)
204:(
197:)
193:(
172:)
168:–
164:(
158:)
154:–
150:(
58:)
54:(
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