1977 Profile: Louie Giammona

Kick Returner-Running Back
No. 45
Utah State
"Louie is a hard-hitting little runner who played in all 14 games and started three last year. He wound up fourth on the club in rushing with 150 yards on 39 carries for a 3.8 average, and a touchdown, and was fifth in receiving with 15 receptions for 145 yards, a 9.7 average. Louie was second on kickoff returns with a 22.9 average on 23 returns and although his 12 punt returns didn't qualify for the AFC rankings, he recorded a 9.8 average.
'His lack of size hurts him,' says head coach Walt Michaels, 'but he is a good situation player, excels on special teams and gives an all-out effort. He has a great attitude and his blocking is adequate.'
Sharing halfback duties with Steve Davis, Giammona played with a sprained ankle and a broken wrist and was supposed be out three weeks but didn't miss a game. He had a key 35-yard run to set up the winning field goal for the Jets' first victory over Buffalo. His 146 yards on six kickoff returns against Cincinnati was the fourth best single-game effort in Jets history.
Giammona led the nation in 1974 with 1,534 yards on 329 carries with eight touchdowns, and in 1975 finished fifth in the nation in rushing with 1,454 yards on 303 carries. He topped the NCAA all-purpose running category in both 1974 (1,984 yards for a 198.4 average) and 1975 (2,045 yards for a 185.9 average). His career totals: 756 carries, 3,499 yards, a 4.6 average and 21 touchdowns. He averaged 116 yards rushing per game for three seasons, 11th best in NCAA history, and his career total in all-purpose running, 5,201 yards, ranks as fourth best in college history. Giammona holds virtually every Utah State rushing record, including the school record for most yards rushing in one game, 247 against Idaho State in 1974.
Louie is married to Kathy Bounsall. Kathy fixed Italian dinners for the offensive linemen every time Louie rushed for more than 100 yards at Utah State (17 times). As a prep athlete, Louie led his high school teams to 15 championships in five sports. Born and raised in the Napa Valley wine country, his birthplace his St. Helena, California, his hometown is Calistoga, CA and his name is pronounced GEE-a-MOAN-a.
A gregarious young man, Louis answers with a 'yes, sir,' 'no, sir' attitude, yet Shea Stadium police wouldn't let him use the players' exit after his first home game because they thought he was too small to be a player."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide