Dominic Vairo

Dominic Vairo
No. 35
Position:End
Personal information
Born:(1913-11-02)November 2, 1913
Calumet, Michigan, U.S.
Died:July 31, 2002(2002-07-31) (aged 88)
Calumet, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Calumet (MI)
College:Notre Dame (1931–1934)
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Dominic Martin Vairo (November 2, 1913 – July 31, 2002) was an American professional football end. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, serving as team captain as a senior in 1934. He then played professionally for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1935, appearing in one game. After briefly playing for other non-NFL teams, he worked as a businessman and local official in his hometown of Calumet, Michigan.

Early life

Vairo was born on November 2, 1913, in Calumet, Michigan.[1] His father was an Italian immigrant and a tenant at the Italian Hall when the Italian Hall disaster occurred.[2] Vairo attended Calumet High School where he was a letterman in three sports: football, basketball, and track and field.[3] He also participated in tennis and hockey.[4] He served as team captain in both football and basketball, winning All-Upper Peninsula honors in the former while helping the latter compile an undefeated record in the 1929–30 season.[5][6] He graduated from Calumet in 1931 and enrolled at the University of Notre Dame later that year.[6][7]

College career

As a freshman at Notre Dame in 1931, Vairo "went out for every sport", according to the Associated Press, but received varsity letters in none of them.[5] In football, he was a substitute on the freshman team.[5] However, during the season, his jersey went missing and he was charged to pay for it.[4] Unable to, he was forced to drop the sport.[4] He also competed in almost every event in track and swimming in his attempt to receive a letter, but was unable to.[4] He tried out for football again as a sophomore and made the varsity team as a walk-on.[5][8] He then became a starter for the varsity at left end in the 1933 season.[5] He was named team captain for the 1934 season and served as the starting right end.[5][9] Playing under coach Elmer Layden, he helped Notre Dame compile a record of 6–3 in 1934 and was reportedly named an All-American.[3][5][10] In a game against Army that year, he caught a game-winning touchdown.[3] After the season, he was named the recipient of Notre Dame's Byron Kanaley Award, for "the senior letterman judged the most exemplary student and leader of men".[3] He graduated in 1935 cum laude with a degree in business administration.[6]

Professional career

Vairo signed to play professional football with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in August 1935.[11] He appeared in one game as a backup before being released on October 1, 1935.[1][12] He later played for the Calumet All-Stars before joining the Chicago Gunners in 1936, where he stayed through 1937.[13][14] Vairo later recalled that when he joined the Packers, he was "amazed" by the skills of fellow end Don Hutson, noting that "I pretty much forgot about pro football after I saw him play."[2]

Later life and death

Following his football career, Vairo began working at Ford Motor Company and Cuneo Press in Chicago, Illinois.[6] Following the death of his father, he moved back to Calumet in 1939, taking operation of his father's business.[6] He was elected a county clerk in 1942 and soon after joined the United States Navy, serving in World War II in the South Pacific.[6] He was discharged in 1946 and then returned to serving as a county clerk, a position he retained until 1952.[6] He later worked for the Leveque Insurance Agency, which he operated until retiring in 1983.[6]

Vairo was active in local sports, serving as an official and announcer for area high school games. He was a member of various civic groups and clubs, serving on the board of directors of the Calumet Public Hospital, the Miscowaubik Club and the Italian Mutual Insurance Company. He also was a member of the Elks Lodge, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Vairo was a board member of the St. Mary's Church and served on the board of directors for Calumet Electronics from 1967 to 2002. He was named the Outstanding Italian-American of the Year by the Order Sons of Italy in America in 1983.[6]

Vairo married Dorothy Ahrbeck in 1936 and had a son and a daughter with her.[6] He was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.[3] He died in Calumet on July 31, 2002, at the age of 88.[1] Vairo was posthumously inducted into the Calumet High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dom Vairo Stats". Pro Football Reference.
  2. ^ a b Schwiebert, Emily Riippa (December 10, 2021). "Flashback Friday: The Family Downstairs". Michigan Tech University.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Dominic Vairo" (PDF). Public Schools of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw. August 25, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d "Capable End Captains Notre Dame". The Capital Times. October 23, 1934. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Rambler Captain Was Substitute On Frosh Squad". The Day. Associated Press. October 16, 1934. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Obituary for Dominic M. Vairo". Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home. July 31, 2002.
  7. ^ "Dom Vairo Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  8. ^ Mayers, Jeff (December 15, 1985). "Michigan towns recall the Gipper". The La Crosse Tribune. Associated Press. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Dominic Vairo Rambler Guide". The Times-Mail. Associated Press. December 8, 1933. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "1934 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  11. ^ "Packers Sign Dominic Vairo, Notre Dame End". Chicago Tribune. August 15, 1935. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Vairo, Packer End, Released". The La Crosse Tribune. Associated Press. October 2, 1935. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "All-Star-Gunner Tilt On Indoor Chicago Gridiron". The Times of Northwest Indiana. October 28, 1936. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "They'll Give Old College Try Against Cooper Cards". Kenosha News. October 9, 1937. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
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