Joe Vodicka

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Joseph J. Vodicka (March 4, 1921 – February 28, 1995) was an American football player who played as a halfback in the NFL. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he went to Lane Tech High School, where a serious injury in 1938 almost left him with a limp, but he recovered fully. He played college football at Illinois State University.

Vodicka signed with the Chicago Bears in 1943 and appeared in three games that season, including a 3-yard rush in the Bears’ 1943 NFL Championship Game win over the Washington Redskins. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and played for the Camp Peary Pirates in 1944. He returned to the Bears in 1945, playing four games and starting two, and finished the year with the Chicago Cardinals, appearing in four games with a few carries and returns. Vodicka was part of the 1943 NFL Championship team.