Ralph Chesnauskas

Ralph Chesnauskas
Chesnauskas from 1956 Howitzer
Profile
PositionGuard
Personal information
Bornc. 1935
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolBrockton (Massachusetts)
CollegeArmy
Awards and highlights

Ralph Joseph Chesnauskas (January 21, 1934 – January 11, 2018)[1] was an American football player.

Early life

Chesnauskas grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts.[2][3] He was an honor student at Brockton High School and on the school's football team as an end and on the baseball team as an outfielder.[4]

Military Academy

Chesnauskas entered the United States Military Academy in 1952. At the Academy, he was moved from end to guard. As a sophomore, he also converted 21 of 25 extra point kicks. He was also described by Army coach Earl Blaik as a "furious but heady defensive player."[4] He was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on its 1954 All-America college football team.[5] He also played baseball at Army and hit the longest home run ever at West Point.[4]

Later life

Chesnauskas was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.[6]

Chesnauskas died in Hyannis, Massachusetts on January 11, 2018, at the age of 83.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Mr. Ralph J. Chesnauskas". West Point. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  2. ↑ U.S. Military Academy yearbook for 1956 ("Howitzer 1956"), p. 216.
  3. ↑ "Former Boxer Ralph Chesnauskas inducted into West Point Hall of Fame". The Enterprise. October 23, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 "National Honor for Ralph No Surprise in Brockton". The Boston Globe. December 9, 1954. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Chesnauskas All-American". The Boston Globe. December 9, 1954. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Guidance From Coaches Helps Lead To Hall of Fame Career". Army Black Knights. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ "U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current". Ancestry. Retrieved February 12, 2026.