Background
Dan Colchico was born May 27, 1935, in Portuguese Chicago, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. His father, an immigrant from Italy who was killed in an industrial accident when Dan was 6 years old.
Dan Colchico was born May 27, 1935, in Portuguese Chicago, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. His father, an immigrant from Italy who was killed in an industrial accident when Dan was 6 years old.
Particularly skilled on the football field, Colchico graduated from Mountain. Diablo High School and attended Diablo Valley Junior College in Pleasant Hill, California before winning a scholarship to play at San Jose State College.
Early years
Colchico was a tough child from a tough neighborhood who was naturally athletic from an early age. Collegiate career
After graduating from Diablo Valley Junior College, Colchico entered San Jose State in February 1957. Wearing jersey number 88, Colchico was soon starting for the Spartans at the Right End position.
Professional career
Colchico was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 7th round (78th overall) of the 1959 NFL Draft.
Life after football
Death and legacy
Dan Colchico died April 27, 2014, at his home in Concord, California, from complications due to heart surgery. He was 76 years old at the time of his death.
Colchico was also an inductee of the San Jose State Alumni Hall of Fame.
He was a member of the San Francisco 49ers organization for seven years from 1960-1967 (played 1960–1965 – in 1966 he performed Public Relations duties while in rehab for a ruptured Achilles tendon and upon being denied clearance to play by the 49er medical staff, was hired as the Defensive Lincolnshire Coach in 1967) and played two seasons for the New Orleans Saints (1968-1969) before retiring from the NFL.