Pete Vainowski

Peter Stanley Vainowski (September 7, 1902 – July 16, 1957) was an American football guard who played one game for the Louisville Colonels of the National Football League (NFL) during their 1926 season.[1] The Louisville team was run by Aaron Hertzman. Hertzman maintained few records of the 1926 team, other than a payroll register which included Vainowski.[2]

Of the team's four games during the 1926 NFL season, Vainowski was a starter at right guard in one of them, playing in a 0–47 loss against the Detroit Panthers.[3]

A player identified by the name "Vainowski" or "Vanowski" also played line positions for other professional football teams in Illinois from 1923 through the early 1930s, including the following appearances:

• "Vanowski" played for the Rockford Gophers during the 1923 season, recording a safety against the Moline Indians.[4]
• "Vainowski" (sometimes referred to "Vanowski") played at the right guard and left guard positions for Joey Sternaman's Pullman Panthers of the Midwest Football League in 1924.[5] He was described as one of the "shining lights of the Pullman squad."[6]
• "Vanowski" played for the Harvey Athletic Association (Harvey, Illinois) professional football team during the 1925 season.[7]
• "Vainowski" returned to the Pullman professional football team in 1929.[8]
• "Vainowski", identified as a 238-pound tackle out of Loyola, again played for Chicago's Pullman Panthers in 1931.[9][10]

He was born and died in Chicago, Illinois.[11] After his football career ended, he worked for the Illinois Bell Telephone Company for 34 years. He and his wife, Agnes (Grenda) Vainowski, had three children. He died in July 1957 at age 54.[12][13]