John Ghindia

John V. Ghindia, Jr. (October 12, 1925 – March 16, 2012) was an American football player. He played for the University of Michigan's undefeated football teams in 1947 and 1948 and was the starting quarterback on the 1949 Michigan Wolverines football team that finished the season ranked No. 7 in the country.

Early years
Ghindia was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1925. His father, John V. Ghindia, Sr. (1897–1983), was a Romanian immigrant who came to the United States in 1915 and worked in a steel mill. As a youth, Ghindia moved with his family to Ecorse, Michigan. Ghindia played football for the University of Michigan under head coaches Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan from 1946 to 1949. He played for Michigan's "B" team as a freshman in 1946. As a sophomore, he was a backup at fullback and halfback for the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team. As a junior, he played for undefeated, national championship 1948 team. However, Ghindia missed most of the 1948 season after suffering a knee injury in the first game of the 1948 season against Michigan State; Ghindia's knee required surgery in the off-season.

1949 season
In 1949, Bill Bartlett began the season as Michigan's starting quarterback. In the second game of the season, head coach Oosterbaan made a surprise move starting Ghindia at quarterback against Stanford. Ghindia led the Wolverines to a 27-8 win over Stanford. According to the Chicago Daily Tribune, Ghindia "called a masterful game" against Stanford. Another newspaper described Ghindia's performance as follows: "Michigan's 'new' quarter-back, the veteran John Ghindia of Ecorse, Mich., a lad who came up the hard way, from the reserves, and who started his first game at the signal calling position against Stanford, will handle the field general spot Saturday. The 179-pound [sic] blocking back, who handled the generalship assignment reminiscent of Howard Yerges and Pete Elliott, quarterbacks on the 1947 and 1948 championship teams respectively, pulled a shaky first half team together and knitted into a confident, coordinated outfit. Significant was the fact that his precision blocking paved the way for the Wolverine running attack."

The following week, Ghindia fumbled on Michigan's 13-yard line leading to an Army touchdown and a 14-0 deficit in the second quarter; Army defeated Michigan 21-7, ending Michigan's 25-game winning streak dating back to the 1946 season. After consecutive losses to Army and Northwestern, Ghindia led the Wolverines to a 14-7 win against Minnesota. After the game, Arch Ward of the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote, "John Ghindia's performance today should dispel all doubt about the caliber of Michigan's field generalship. He called plays expertly."

Ghindia started seven of nine games for the 1949 team that finished with a record of 6-2-1, tied for the Big Ten Conference championship and was ranked No. 7 in the final AP poll. Ghindia's value was as a play-caller and blocking back rather than as a passer or rusher. Ghindia completed only one of seven passes in 1949 for 11 yards and threw two interceptions; halfback Chuck Ortmann was the team's leading passer with 627 passing yards. Ghindia carried the ball only four times in 1949 for negative seven rushing yards.

Coaching career
In July 1953, Ghindia accepted the position of head coach of all sports at St. Patrick High School in Wyandotte, Michigan. He was the school's first full-time coach. Ghindia later served as a high school football coach in his home town of Ecorse, Michigan. He was also a successful high school tennis coach, leading Ecorse High School to several state championships. His tennis teams compiled a record of 251-82 from 1964 to 1986. Ghindia retired from teaching in 1986.

Ghindia also served as the director of the Ecorse Recreation Department starting in 1962 and used the position to further tennis in Ecorse.

Ghindia has been inducted into the Catholic League Hall of Fame, the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame.