Whenever talk of Cardinal Mooney’s
first state championship team of 1973 turns to the linemen who
opened holes for Ted Bell, Dave Handel, and Dave Lockshaw, the
name mentioned most often is Bob Sammartino.
Bob was the foundation of that team, not only in the trenches,
but also as a tri-captain whose leadership was paramount to the
team’s success. Sammartino earned All-Diocesan, All-Northeastern
Ohio, and All-State honorable mention honors. He was selected
to play in both the Ohio North-South All-Star Game and the Big
33 All Star Game. A talented field athlete in track, Bob still
owns the shot put record at Mooney.
Sammartino, who earned a scholarship to Michigan State University,
played football for the Spartans. Bob has 3 children and is a
Director of a Training Department for General Motors in Lansing,
Michigan. He finds time to be a board member for “Athletes
for Kids” for Sparrow Hospital and has a business named
Sports Recruiting Services.
