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Justin Canale was born on April 11, 1943 in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Mississippi State University and played offensive guard and did the kicking. At Mississippi State he also won the SEC shot-put championship with a 58 foot toss. He was truly a gentle giant and had the most unusual and incredible personality for a giant pro football player. At 250 lbs, which was huge for the 1960s, in 1965, he was drafted in the 6th round by the Boston Patriots. He was an offensive guard and the back-up kicker to Gino Cappelletti until 1968. In 1969, he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1970 he played in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes from 1970 to 1972, playing in the Grey Cup Championship game in 1970 and then played with Calgary in 1973. He finished his career, returning home and playing for the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League from 1974 to 1975, before returning to Canada to play with Toronto in 1976. He underwent 20 operations for football related injuries in his career. In 1970 Justin and his younger brother Conn joined their father in the grocery business, becoming very well known locally for serving smoked ham sandwiches that were featured on various television food-related programs and news features. While Memphis has always been known for its great barbeque, the Canale smoked boneless ham sandwiches became a staple in their locale. Justin Canale was 68 years old and died on October 11, 2011 in Memphis, TN. |
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