NIASHF Spotlight: Alan Ameche🏈🇮🇹 Alan “The Horse” Ameche was a five-time All-Pro fullback. He will forever be remembered for his winning touchdown during the 1958 NFL Championship Colts vs. Giants game, which took place during the final moments of the first overtime game in NFL history. Ameche had a brilliant college football career with the Wisconsin Badgers. As a freshman, he scored a Big Ten Rushing Record, and as a senior, won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player. Though not selected by his home team, the Green Bay Packers, he was an easy first-round pick for the Baltimore Colts in the 1955 draft. During his first NFL play against the Chicago Bears, Ameche scored a 79-yard touchdown and was named “Rookie of the Year.” He went on to play six professional seasons with the Colts, during which he carried the ball 964 times for 4,045 yards, maintained a 4.2 average, scored 44 touchdowns and caught 101 passes. Ameche retired from professional football in 1960 due to an injury to his Achilles tendon. A few years earlier, he and a few of his fellow teammates had invested in a chain of restaurants in the Baltimore area, Gino’s Hamburgers, which was named for Colts Captain Gino Marchetti. Ameche turned his attention to the restaurant business full-time after his exit from pro sports. The restaurants flourished, and Ameche became a generous supporter of several philanthropic causes. Ameche still holds game and season rushing records at The University of Wisconsin. The school retired his jersey number, 35, and named him “Greatest Player” on their 1969 All-Time Team. Despite his brief career with the Colts, he carved his place in sports history as the fullback who made the day’s most memorable play during what has been called “the greatest NFL game ever played.” Ameche was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. 🇮🇹 (fb)

NIASHF Spotlight: Chip Ganassi🏎️🇮🇹 Chip Ganassi, inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, is one of the most successful and influential figures in motorsport. As a car owner, Ganassi has achieved an impressive record of over 170 race wins and 18 championships across various racing series. His accomplishments include four wins at the Indianapolis 500, six overall victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and victories in iconic events such as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Notably, in 2010, Ganassi made history by winning the trifecta with victories in the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, and the Brickyard 400. Ganassi’s career began as a promising driver before an Indycar crash redirected his path toward team ownership. Since then, he has built a racing empire, fielding 14 cars for 18 drivers in six different professional series. His business philosophy is grounded in four cornerstones: integrity, innovation, partnership, and performance. These principles have shaped Ganassi Racing into a powerhouse in both Indycar and sports car racing, attracting top talent and forming valuable partnerships, such as his long-time relationship with sponsor Target and his current partnership with Ford. Under Ganassi’s leadership, his teams have achieved remarkable success. He has won multiple Indycar championships with drivers like Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, and Dario Franchitti. His drivers have also won the Indy 500, with victories from Montoya, Dixon, and Franchitti. In sports car racing, his teams have secured championships with drivers like Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, and Max Papis, while his stock car teams have won prestigious races such as the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 with Jamie McMurray. Ganassi’s success is driven by his relentless pursuit of excellence, always looking forward and embracing new challenges. His leadership style is focused on empowering his team and providing them with the tools needed to win. Ganassi’s legacy is built not just on his race wins, but on his ability to adapt, innovate, and inspire in the ever-evolving world of motorsport. (fb)