Obituary: Who was John Stofa? dies at 79, Net worth, Cause of Death, Family and Wife

John Carl Stofa was an American quarterback who played in both the American Football League and the National Football League.

Former NFL quarterback John Stofa, called “the Original Bengal,” died at the age of 79.

The Cincinnati Bengals revealed Monday that John Stofa, the former quarterback known as “the Original Bengal” since he was the team’s first player, died over the weekend at the age of 79.

Stofa only played for the team for one season in 1968, but he spent the majority of his life in Cincinnati. Stofa led the Bengals to their first victory as an AFL expansion team in September 1968, when they defeated the Denver Broncos 24-10 at Nippert Stadium, which served as the team’s home field until Riverfront Stadium was finished in 1970.

“You start out in football with first things first,” former Bengals owner Paul Brown told reporters, per Enquirer archives. “Taking Johnson as a center to work with (quarterback) John Stofa, who we already have, is like building down the middle on a baseball team. He’s like getting a good catcher in baseball to work with your standout pitcher.”

“He was more than that to a lot of us. Just a really good guy we’ve known for a long time,” said Bengals president Mike Brown, per Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “He had a lot of values we cherish. We admired the way he lived his life.”

Stofa also played for the Miami Dolphins in the AFL and NFL, backing up starter Bob Griese in 1970.

John Stofa Age, Family, and Early Life

John Stofa was born on June 29, 1942.  Stofa was born in the Pennsylvania town of Johnstown. He was an American national who was 79 years old.

John Stofa, the son of John and Ann Stofa, was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Which School and University did he attend? What was his major?

Bishop McCort High School was his alma mater. He was a member of the University at Buffalo’s Class of 1964 and was the Bulls’ starting quarterback in 1962 and 1963. The Bulls were 6–3 and 5–3–1 in their first two seasons, respectively.

As the Bulls’ quarterback, he set throwing and overall yardage records. From 1962 to 1964, he also played baseball for Buffalo.

John Stofa Wife, What about his Relationship?

Stofa met Katie, the daughter of former Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach Frank Oceak, another Cambria County Sports Hall of Famer, as a result of his multi-sport success.

He is married and has children.

How much is John Stofa Net worth?

There are no details on the net worth of John Stofa.

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John Stofa Career, What was his profession?

In 1966, Stofa made his pro football debut with the Miami Dolphins, an expansion team in the American Football League. He spent his first two seasons with the Dolphins, appearing in eight games and starting two of them. He completed 31 of 59 throws for 476 yards and four touchdowns with the Dolphins. In the final game of the season, he threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Joe Auer in a 29–28 victory over the Houston Oilers.

Prior to the 1968 season, Stofa was moved to the AFL’s new expansion team, the Cincinnati Bengals. When he joined the Bengals in December 1967, he became the franchise’s first player. He bears the number “1ST BNGL” on his license plate.

Stofa owns the distinction of tossing the Bengals’ first touchdown pass. In the team’s second game, he threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bob Trumpy in the third quarter of a 24–10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

The Bengals selected Greg Cook as their starter the following year. During training camp, Stofa was waived, although he was later added to the Bengals taxi squad. The Dolphins later grabbed him off waivers.

Dolphins for 1969

Stofa returned to the Dolphins for the 1969 season and 1970, the team’s first year in the NFL following the merger of the AFL and the NFL. Stofa only appeared in one game with the Dolphins in 1969, behind Bob Griese and Rick Norton, with 14 completions in 23 attempts for 146 yards.

In 1970, Stofa appeared in eight games as a backup to starter Bob Griese, completing 16 of 53 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. It was the fifth and final season of his AFL–NFL career, which spanned five years.

In 1974, Stofa returned to the NFL, signing with the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League’s inaugural season. Stofa, who was filling in for Reggie Oliver and Kay Stephenson as a quarterback, completed two of five throws for 24 yards and one touchdown.

Is he available on any kind of social media platform?

We did a quick search for the social media handle of John but weren’t able to find any handles that were likely to be his.

John Stofa’s Appearance Height, Weight

Interesting facts about John Stofa’s which you should be known