Before he joined the pro leagues, Vellone played college football for two years at the University of Southern California.
[1] For two seasons while in Minnesota (1968–1969), Vellone was a teammate of offensive tackle Ron Yary, who likewise was a star lineman at Cerritos College and at USC.
Although managing to live a normal life for some time, Vellone finally succumbed to the cancerous disease on August 21, 1977, a day after his 33rd birthday, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, California.
According to a brief article in the St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) newspaper two days after his death, friends said that Vellone checked into St. Joseph's, due to breathing problems.
The award's recipients included Greg Langford (Wrestling, 1972), Paul Phillips (Swimming, 1973), and Bill Qualls (Cross Country and Track, 1974).