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| name = Jack Bonadies
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| number =
| position = [[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]], [[Tackle (gridiron football)|tackle]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1892|12|2}}
| birth_place = [[Corleto Perticara]], [[Italy]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|10|13|1892|12|2}}
| death_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]]
| height_ft =
| height_in =
| weight_lbs = 208
| high_school =
| college = None
| pastteams =
* [[Hartford Blues]] ({{NFL Year|1926}})
* All-Hartford ({{circa}} 1927–1929)
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 5
| nfl = jack-bonadies
| pfr = BonaJa20
}}
”’John A. Bonadies”’, sometimes called ”’Giovanni A. Bonadies”’ (December 2, 1892 – October 13, 1965) was an [[Italy|Italian]] professional [[American football]] [[Guard (gridiron football)|guard]] and [[Tackle (gridiron football)|tackle]] who played one season in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[Hartford Blues]]. Born in [[Corleto Perticara]], his family moved to [[United States]] when he was young. At the age of 34 in 1926, Bonadies was called to play professional football with the Blues. He appeared in five games, all as a backup.
==Early life and education==
Jack Bonadies was born on December 2, 1892, in [[Corleto Perticara]], "a village in the hills surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and woods."<ref>{{Cite book|title=First and Ten: Pro Football Players Born in Italy|author=Fausto Batella|isbn=1548882496}}</ref> His family moved to [[New Rochelle, New York]] when he was young and later to [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. His high school is unknown. He did not attend a college.<ref>https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BonaJa20.htm</ref> Due to his weight of 208 pounds (sometimes listed 210), Bonadies was called "the Italian Giant" and would play either the tackle or guard position in semi-professional games.<ref>{{Cite book|title=First and Ten: Pro Football Players Born in Italy|author=Fausto Batella|isbn=1548882496}}</ref>
==Professional career==
In 1926, at the age of 34, Bonadies was signed by the [[Hartford Blues]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL) to play professional football. He made his debut in week one of the season, against the [[New York Giants]], as "a substitute for Donlan".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34022017/hartford-courant/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=September 27, 1926|title=New York Giants’ Well Balanced Eleven Uses Aerial Attack to Trim Blues}} {{Open Access}}</ref> The Blues ended the game losing 0–21, in front of 6,500 fans at [[East Hartford Velodrome]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1926nflhar.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=1926 Hartford Blues (NFL)}}</ref> Bonadies did not appear in recaps for the following game, an October 2 loss to the [[Frankford Yellow Jackets]], but was mentioned in their game the following day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570427/pittsburgh-daily-post/|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Daily Post]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 4, 1926|title=Yellow Jackets Cop}} {{Open Access}}</ref> In the third game of the season, Bonadies was sent as a replacement for [[Grat O’Connell]] late in the game as the Blues were shut out again by the Yellow Jackets, this time by the score of 0–10.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570427/pittsburgh-daily-post/|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Daily Post]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 4, 1926|title=Yellow Jackets Cop}} {{Open Access}}</ref> The following game was a 0–6 loss versus the [[Brooklyn Lions]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87572908/times-union/|newspaper=[[Times Union]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 11, 1926|title=Forward Pass in Final Period Gives Lions 6 to 0 Win Over Hartford Blues|author=Cotter, Clay}} {{Open Access}}</ref> In the loss he was on the bench the entire game, and did not see any playing time.
After a Hartford player was suspended prior to their next game against the Lions again, Bonadies was expected to start the game to replace him. An article in the ”[[Hartford Courant]]” said, "It is probable that the Italian giant, Jack Bonadies, will start against Brooklyn at guard … Bonadies, a local product, has been coming along fast and threatens to oust a regular before the season is half over. He is a big, powerful boy and eager for work. He is a looming figure at every practice session."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570609/hartford-courant/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 21, 1926|title=Storms Will Not Prevent Future Contests Of Blues}} {{Open Access}}</ref> He ended up being backup again against the Lions, but did enter the game early as a substitute for [[Ralph Nichols (lineman)|Ralph Nichols]], before Nichols rejoined the game.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570741/times-union/|newspaper=[[Times Union]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 25, 1926|title=Brooklyn Lions Bow To Hartford}} {{Open Access}}</ref> Hartford won the game 16–6, in their first victory of the season. the Blues suffered another defeat in the next week, losing 2–7 versus the [[Kansas City Cowboys]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87576114/hartford-courant/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 1, 1926|title=Blues Bow To Kansas City Cowboys, Slippery Ball Leads To Winning Score}} {{Open Access}}</ref> Bonadies did not see any playing time against the Cowboys, spending the entire game on the bench. The Blues recorded their second win of the season against the [[Canton Bulldogs]] on November 7, before suffering another loss the following week against the [[Buffalo Rangers]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1926nflhar.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=1926 Hartford Blues (NFL)}}</ref> Bonadies left the team after illness made his play decline on November 18, following a total of five games played in.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570159/hartford-courant/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 19, 1926|title=Bonadies Leaves Camp of Blues}} {{Open Access}}</ref>
He returned to football in the following year, spending the next few seasons playing for a team called "All-Hartford".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570855/obituary-for-john-a-bonadies-aged-72/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 14, 1926|title=John A. Bonadies (obituary)}} {{Open Access}}</ref>
==Later life and death==
He lived in the [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford-area]] for the final 50 years of his life. He was owner of a restaurant there, called "John’s Restaurant", retiring in the early 1960s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570855/obituary-for-john-a-bonadies-aged-72/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 14, 1926|title=John A. Bonadies (obituary)}} {{Open Access}}</ref>
With his wife, Frances, Bonadies had two sons and three daughters. He died on October 13, 1965, in Hartford, at the age of 72.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87570855/obituary-for-john-a-bonadies-aged-72/|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=October 14, 1926|title=John A. Bonadies (obituary)}} {{Open Access}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonadies, Jack}}
[[Category:Italian players of American football]]
[[Category:1892 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:Hartford Blues players]]
[[Category:American football guards]]
[[Category:American football tackles]]