Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Despite playing just two years in a Villanova uniform, Gene Filipski ranked second in school history in rushing yards when he graduated and had only moved down to third on the Wildcats all-time list when he was selected for Hall of Fame induction nearly 30 years later. He played for Villanova in 1952 and 1953. Filipski graduated in 1954 and was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1981.
 
At the start of his collegiate career Filipski played for two seasons at Army West Point before he transferred to Villanova for the Spring 1952 semester. He was an honor student in his first semester on campus and made an impression on the football team during spring drills as a player who had All-America potential as a halfback.
 
That potential was unquestionably fulfilled during the 1952 season when Filipski was a consensus first team All-American after rushing for 889 yards and amassing 1,097 yards from scrimmage. He was honored after the season by Look Magazine, the Football Writers’ Association of America, the NCAA Football Guide and Colliers All-America. Filipski helped the Wildcats post a 7-1-1 record in 1952 under second-year head coach Art Raimo, including an impressive start to the year with three consecutive road wins at Kentucky, Clemson and Detroit by a combined 40 points.
 
Filipski rushed 138 times for 889 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. His total yards set a single season school record which would stand for 25 years, while his average of 98.8 yards per contest was not broken for nearly a half century until Brian Westbrook passed him in 2000. Filipski also made 12 receptions for 208 yards and a score while returning five kickoffs for 91 yards in his first nine games for Villanova. His debut in a 25-6 win at Kentucky saw him rush for 112 yards on 14 carries.
 
Two games later in a 21-7 win at Detroit, Filipski went off for a career-high 191 yards on 21 carries. He finished the day with a career-high 222 all-purpose yards (191 rushing, 12 receiving, 19 kickoff) and would end up topping 100 all-purpose yards in 14 of his 19 career games played. His 889 rushing yards in 1952 still ranked 15^th for a single season in the Wildcats record book more than 70 years later.
 
As a senior in 1953, Filipski rushed for 705 yards and six touchdowns. He held two of the top four single season rushing totals in school history when he graduated, and it was not until 1976 that any other Villanova player topped 700 yards in one year. During the 1953 season Filipski amassed 1,215 all-purpose yards while contributing everywhere on the field. He had eight receptions for 110 yards and a score, 11 kickoff returns for 189 yards and 16 punt returns for 146 yards and a touchdown. Filipski returned a punt 65 yards for a score against Wake Forest, and two games later versus Detroit even had two interceptions which he returned for a total of 65 yards.
 
Filipski’s career averages of 83.9 rushing yards per game and 5.84 yards per carry remained Villanova records until being surpassed by Brian Westbrook (1997-01) more than four decades later.
 
At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Filipski was chosen by the Cleveland Browns with the 83^rd overall pick in the seventh round of the 1953 NFL Draft. He would eventually play 24 games for the New York Giants in 1956-57. In his NFL career he rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown, had four receptions for 44 yards and totaled 1,119 yards on kickoff and punt returns. He returned 45 career kickoffs for 1,003 yards and an average of 22.3 yards per return.
 
Filipski’s jersey number – 20 – was retired on the Wall of Fame in Villanova Stadium in 1997.