He attended Nyack High School, where he received All-County recognition as a quarterback in football and a guard in basketball.

The next year, he was moved to halfback in the same backfield with Jim Brown, registering a school record 3 touchdown receptions in one game.

He suffered 2 broken vertebrae in the 24-17 win against the Los Angeles Rams during the tenth game, missing the rest of the season.

On April 16, 1965, he announced his retirement to become a faculty member and assistant football coach at Syracuse University.

In 1965, he returned to Syracuse University to teach art classes and double as a backfield coach for the football team under Ben Schwartzwalder for 6 years.

[5] He also wrote a novel and worked as a color commentator on the Syracuse University football radio broadcasts for over 20 years.