As a starting offensive tackle, he played for head coaches Rex Enright in his first two seasons and Warren Giese as a senior.

[4] DeLuca was selected in the second round (23rd overall) by the New York Giants in the 1957 National Football League (NFL) draft.

When Austin decided to play one more year,[1] DeLuca was sent to the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, where he spent three seasons from 1957 through 1959.

[5] DeLuca's first regular sportscasting assignment was hosting the pre- and postgame shows for New York Mets games on WABC-FM in 1968 and 1969.

[6] Phil Pepe, then a baseball writer for the Daily News who had graduated a year ahead of DeLuca at Lafayette High School, helped him prepare for the assignment.