Members
Inductee
OSSO, LEONARD J.
OSSO, LEONARD J.
Born on January 5, 1924
Hamilton, OH
October 16, 2014.
Inducted On
March 3, 2012
Location Inducted
Richmond, IN
Region Number
8
Richmond
Merit - Fundraiser
Hamilton Catholic
1943
Earned 9 letters in football, basketball, and baseball; served as team captain in all 3 sports as a junior and senior; leading scorer in football and basketball junior and senior years; named to All-State Football Team; rejected scholarship offers from Ohio State, Miami University, OH, Dayton, and Wisconsin to play football at Xavier University.
Xavier University 1 year; Cooks and Bakers School, Ames, IA
World War II interrupted college career; played football under coaches Weeb Ewbank and Paul Brown at Great Lakes Naval Station, beginning a life-long friendship with Weeb; an injury ended football career; served as Ship's Cook 2nd Class in the Navy 1943-1947; furthered education in cooking after the war; played fast-pitch softball 20 years with team winning 2 state championships and named a perennial All-Star player; president of the Hamilton, OH, Italian Society; inducted into 3 Halls of Fame - Badin High School 1996, Butler County (OH) 1984, Ohio Amateur Softball Hall of Fame 1995, and City of Hamilton; active in his church, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Millville, OH; named the Italian American Society's Man of the Year and served as president of the organization; employed at Fisher Body as a general manager for 35 years.
Wife, Lucille (Deceased)
Merit Contributor - Fundraiser: Active in NFL Alumni Association 28 years and the NFL Players Association 24 years, helping with scholarship programs; member of Indiana Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors 10 years; was active in fundraising through the Weeb Ewbank Golf Classic and other events at IFHOF; co-manager of the Weeb Ewbank Endowment for the IFHOF.
