During each home game in the 2025 season, the Gridiron Club will honor athletes or teams who contributed significantly to the proud tradition of John Carroll Football.
At the home opener on Saturday, September 20, the Gridiron Club will honor Sal ‘85 and Nick D’Angelo ‘84.
Nick D’Angelo ‘84 passed away in 2022 at the age of 60. An attorney for nearly 40 years, D’Angelo made an impact on countless people, most especially his children, Alex and Carri.
During his football career at John Carroll, he was team captain senior year and JCU’s most valuable defensive back for 1981, 1982, and 1983. He led the team in tackles, setting the JCU record his senior year with 128 total tackles. In addition to his team honors, he was also first team All-PAC in 1983 and second team All-PAC in 1982. D’Angelo also earned national honors, winning Associated Press All-American honors as a linebacker.
His wrestling career also boasted plentiful accomplishments, as he was a three-time All-American wrestler and won a national championship in the 190 pound weight class in 1983. He was JCU’s 14th national champion wrestler. In his other NCAA appearances, he placed second in 1984 and placed third in 1982. He was also a two-time PAC champion and graduated with an impressive career record of 77-14-2.
While playing for the Blue Streaks, he earned eight varsity letters, ten All-American honors, and was the NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient.
Notably, D’Angelo was John Carroll’s first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-American. He won in both 1982 and 1983 after successful seasons on the gridiron. He won again in 1983 and 1984 as a wrestler, posting a 3.5 GPA as a history major.
D’Angelo is the only Blue Streak to ever be a CoSIDA Academic All-American in two sports. He is one of only five individual wrestlers to be a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Nick D’Angelo was a first-ballot inductee into the JCU Hall of Fame in 1994 for both football and wrestling.
After his passing, the D’Angelo family created the Nick D’Angelo Fund and Scholarship. To learn more about it, click here.
Salvatore “Sal” D’Angelo was a member of the John Carroll Football team, alongside his brother. Like his brother, Sal was also an incredibly talented wrestler. A 2002 inductee into the John Carroll Athletic Hall of Fame, Sal helped make history, as he and his brother are the only brothers in the JCU Hall of Fame.
Sal represented John Carroll University three times at the NCAA National Championships, and earned All-American honors twice as a heayweight with the wrestling team.His best national finish was fourth place in 1985. D’Angelo posted two 30-win seasons, including 31 wins in 1984-85 and his .912 winning percentage (95-17-2) is the third highest in school history.
Named the Team’s Most Valuable Wrestler in 1984-85, D’Angelo was a two-time PAC Champion and three-time National Catholic Champion. His 95 career victories were fifth most in school history.
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