John Andretti
Race Car Driver
Andretti is a name synonymous with the sport of auto racing, and John Andretti is welcomed as the family’s third member into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame joining his uncle, Mario, and his cousin, Michael. John’s father, Aldo, is Mario’s twin and his godfather is IndyCar legend, A.J. Foyt.
Driving since the age of nine when he took up go-kart racing, Andretti has made his mark in all types of auto racing including NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and USAC midgets. Born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, John grew up near Indianapolis with dreams of competing at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was in the Indy PPG/CART series where John got his feet wet professionally in 1987. He raced in five events and won rookie of the race honors each time. Just a year later, he made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and took 21st due to mechanical woes after getting as high as seventh place.
1991 was a big year for John as he claimed victory in his biggest race to date, winning the Gold Coast Grand Prix in Australia. Later that year, John finished fifth at the Indy 500. A week after that, Michael, John and Mario took the top three spots during a race in Milwaukee for the only known time an entire family finished first, second and third in a motorsports race.
In 1994, Andretti moved over into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, eventually joining Petty Enterprises. That year, Andretti accomplished a feat that nobody had up to that point and only few have since, competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola World 600 on the same day. Three years later, Andretti won the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on the NASCAR circuit.
Andretti ended up as the last NASCAR driver to win a cup race for Petty Enterprises in 2008. He also finished in the top 10 at the Indy 500 four times. In 2012, John even got to be teammates with his only son, Jarett, during the 24 at Daytona event.
Off the track, John is an accomplished father, husband and businessman that also finds time for his charitable ventures. He co-founded the Kroger Race for Riley presented by Cheerios to benefit Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
Jean Lenti-Ponsetto
Director of Athletics and Administrator
Jean Lenti Ponsetto retired from an illustrious 42-year career at DePaul University as a widely respected leader in intercollegiate athletics. She began as an assistant women’s basketball coach and head softball coach, excelling in four sports as a student-athlete. Transitioning to athletics administration in 1982, she eventually became the Director of Athletics in 2002.
During Ponsetto’s tenure, DePaul’s athletic programs achieved remarkable success with 58 NCAA team championships and 154 NCAA individual championships appearances. Notably, the women’s basketball program made 17 consecutive NCAA appearances, and the softball program reached the Women’s College World Series twice. Ponsetto prioritized student-athlete academic success, leading to 80 NCAA APR Awards and 34 Academic All Americans, with a collective CUM GPA above 3.5.
Ponsetto was instrumental in fundraising and overseeing the development of nine athletic facilities, including Wintrust Arena, Sullivan Athletic Center, and Wish Soccer Field. She collaborated on projects for men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, indoor track, soccer, softball, tennis, and golf. Additionally, 54 new scholarships were added for student-athletes, and revenue records were set while reducing the University’s subsidy to Athletics by 50%.
Her contributions extended beyond DePaul, with 62 years of service to the intercollegiate athletics community. Notably, she served as Chairperson of the NCAA Championships Cabinet, the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Committee, and other leadership roles.
Ponsetto received numerous awards for her work, including two NACDA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year Awards, Women Leaders in College Sports Administrator of the Year Award, NACDA Builders Award, and WBCA Administrator of the Year Award.
A member of several halls of fame, including the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, Ponsetto was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential women in Chicago by the Chicago Sun-Times. She also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and was named an Affiliate of the Congregation of the Mission for her longstanding commitment to the Vincentian Community.
Vito “Babe” Parilli
Football Player and Hall of Fame Coach
Vito “Babe” Parilli quarterbacked the Wildcats for Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant from 1949-51.
A promising star from Rochester High School in western Pennsylvania, Parilli brought Kentucky national recognition as he introduced Bear Bryant’s “T” Formation that baffled opponents and spectators alike. On the field or in the stands, you simply lost sight of the football once Parilli had it in his magical Houdini hands. Defenders tackled backs not carrying the ball as Parilli miraculously seemed to repossess it and toss it into hands that suddenly appeared from obscurity.
In 1949 and 1950, Parilli directed teams that ran up 684 points against 115 opposition points. The Wildcats held 10 of 22 opponents scoreless, and all but three to 7 points or less. In 1949, Parilli led Kentucky to a 9-3 record, including wins over LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia and Florida. In 1950 during Parilli’s junior year, the Wildcats produced the greatest season in school history, including an 11-1 campaign and Southeastern Conference Championship. Parilli’s senior season resulted in an 8-4 record, culminating his illustrious career with NCAA records at time for career passing touchdowns (50), completions (331) and passing yards (4,351).
During his tenure, Kentucky appeared in three bowl games, including the 1950 Orange Bowl and wins over Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl and TCU in the 1952 Cotton Bowl. The Sugar Bowl victory ended the Sooners’ 31-game winning streak, which at the time was the fifth-longest in college football history.
He led the nation in passing efficiency in ‘51 and touchdowns in ‘50 and ‘51, earning consensus First Team All-America honors in both ‘50 and ‘51. He came in third in the Heisman Trophy voting in ‘51 and fourth in ‘50. His remarkable college career ended with the Wildcats posting a 28-8 record and him earning a Most Valuable Player citation in the college All-Star Game.
Graduating with a degree in physical education, Parilli was selected in the first round (No. 4 pick overall) of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, and he played professional football for 18 seasons, including four with the Packers (1952-53 and 1957-58), three with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (1954-55 and 1959), one with the Cleveland Browns (1956), one with the Oakland Raiders (1960), seven with the Boston Patriots (1961-67) and two with the New York Jets (1968-69).
During his NFL career, Parilli passed for 22,681 yards and 178 touchdowns, earning three Pro Bowl selections. Parilli was one of only 20 players who played all 10 seasons of the American Football League (1960-69), and he was Joe Namath’s backup on the 1968 Jets team that upset the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Following his playing career, he coached as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos and the Jets as well as head coaching stints in the Arena Football League and the erstwhile World Football League. In addition to the College Football Hall of Fame, Parilli is a member of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, the (state of) Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Scott Pioli
Football Player, NFL Network
Three-time Super Bowl champion executive Scott Pioli serves as a Front Office Analyst for NFL Network, having joined in 2020. In his role, Pioli can be seen on various NFL Network programming such as NFL Total Access and NFL Now, and the network’s coverage of such events as the NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Draft.
Pioli brings a wealth of NFL front office experience to NFL Network, having been named NFL Executive of the Year five times and the NFL Executive of the Decade for 2000-10. Pioli’s NFL career spans over 27 years, including five trips to the Super Bowl, three Super Bowl championships, four AFC championships, six AFC East titles, and an NFC Championship. He has held multiple executive positions, including General Manager, Assistant General Manager, and Vice President Personnel in various organizations, including the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.
Pioli’s media experience includes roles as an NFL analyst for NBC Sports’ Football Night in America, NFL Network, CBS Sports, and Sirius XM NFL Radio. He has been a featured speaker and panelist for private companies and at numerous conferences including the NFL’s Women’s Career Development NHL’s Advancing Equity Summit, MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Center on Leadership & Ethics at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the New Jersey & Massachusetts Bankers Association Annual Conferences.
Pioli is passionate and committed to advocating and advancing diversity and equality. The NCAA honored him as the 2019 Champion of Diversity & Inclusion for his efforts as an advocate for equality in sports. He mentors minority coaching candidates, scouts, and executives, and sponsors and provides grants and scholarships for educational and professional development in football and athletics through multiple endowments for women and HBCU graduates.
Angelo Pizzo
Screenwriter and Producer of Sports Films
Screenwriter and producer of the movie “Hoosiers”… a native of Bloomington, he graduated from University High School, attended Indiana University and the University of Southern California film school.
Pizzo worked with David Anspaugh to create the 1986 film, which has been rated as the #1 sports movie of all-time by multiple outlets, including USA Today and ESPN, and is widely regarded as one of the top movies of any genre by critics, including the American Film Institute. “Hoosiers” captures Indiana’s passion for high school basketball through the fictional 1952 Hickory Huskers and is based loosely upon the story of the 1954 state champion Milan Indians.
In 2001 “Hoosiers” was placed into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” to American culture… Hall of Fame inductees Ray Crowe, Tom Carnegie, Hilliard Gates, Ray Craft and Gary Long are among those on screen in the film. Pizzo also collaborated with Anspaugh on noted sports film “Rudy.”
Frank Zamboni
Entrepreneur and Innovator
Go to almost any rink in America and you are sure to see the influence of Frank Zamboni. His ingenuity permeates the hockey world and has made “Zamboni” a household name.
As a teenager, the Eureka, Utah, native moved to Southern California with his brother, Lawrence, to join their older brother in his auto repair business. The two younger Zamboni’s soon broke off on their own, building a plant that made block ice. The rise of refrigeration technology forced the brothers to capitalize on their expertise in other ways, however.
In 1939, Frank, Lawrence and a cousin built Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount, Calif. At the time, resurfacing a sheet of ice required a process that took more than an hour to complete. With a new 20,000 square foot skating surface to maintain, Frank Zamboni developed a revolutionary concept in 1949, his “Model A”, that would make him famous.
Zamboni received a patent based on the design of the “Model A,” the world’s first self-propelled ice resurfacing machine and he established Frank J. Zamboni & Co. as a family partnership to manufacture his machine. The second ever sale was made to the Norwegian Olympic figure skater and film actress, Sonja Henie, and the fourth to Ice Capades. The Ice Capades machine resides in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum.
Taking advantage of the interest generated by the Sonja Henie and Ice Capades touring shows, Zamboni created a production design that was delivered in 1954 to the Boston Garden, Boston Arena, Providence Arena and the Montreal Forum. In 1960, he brought six machines to Squaw Valley, Calif., for the Olympic Winter Games, including three designed specifically for Olympic ice surfaces.
Zamboni’s design continued to gain popularity for its ability to produce a superior sheet of ice while adding many improvements. In 1994, Lillehammer, Norway, marked the first Olympic Winter Games to use all electric Zamboni ice resurfacers, and the Zamboni was named the “Official Ice Resurfacer of the NHL” in 2002.
For his ingenuity and persistence, Zamboni was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000, the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
