West Side story: Chaney's Angelo has Super son

By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Louis "Red" Angelo believes he knows one of the main reasons why the Chicago Bears are in today's Super Bowl.
The retired Chaney High football coach, who still lives on the West Side near Mill Creek Park, gives a lot of the credit to his son, Jerry Angelo, the Bears' general Manager since 2000, for the team's first Super Bowl appearance since 1985.
The reason: Jerry knows a good football player when he sees one, and built the team with talent that he recruited with his own eyes, Red contends.
"He has good eye for talent. That's his forte. Even with the Bears, he goes out personally and scouts every player. He won't bring in anybody he hasn't personally seen," said Red, who coached Jerry from 1964-66 at Chaney High as a center and linebacker, before he went on to play defensive tackle for Miami of Ohio.
"He is industrious. He is goal-oriented. He knows what he wants and goes after it," said Red. "He doesn't leave any stone unturned. If he [weren't] with the Bears, he would succeed in anything he did. He will do what he has to do to get the job done."
Honed skills as scout
Red said that Jerry, who is now 57 and makes his home in Libertyville, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, began to hone his skills as a scout and a wise judge of talent while a scout for the New York Giants with coach Bill Parcells, general manager George Young and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick.
And that Belichick, whose father, Steve, was a native of Struthers, and Jerry became "very good friends. Belichick helped [Jerry] to get the job at Tampa Bay and their relationship is very close," pointed out Red.
Red said after Jerry left the Giants to become director of player personnel for Tampa Bay, he became an invaluable asset to general manager Rich McKay of the Buccaneers.
"McKay helped Jerry get valuable experience but Jerry helped McKay keep his job because he was good at it," said Red, meaning that quality players Jerry recruited helped the Buccaneers win.
But Red also said Jerry has high character and strives to excel in anything he does.
"He is a good Christian man. He doesn't drink, smoke and chew. He teaches a Bible studies class every Wednesday at his church," said Red.
Winner at Chaney, too
Red recalled that Jerry and Chaney both also were winners during his three-year playing career, along with three other family members -- brother Lou Angelo and cousins Dave DelSignore and Mike DeNiro -- who all helped the Cowboys post a 25-2 record from 1964-66, including 9-0 in 1965.
"That gang there, in three years they only lost two games. That was a good group of kids," said Red, whose 1964 and 1966 teams both went 8-1.
Lou Angelo was a sophomore quarterback in 1965 team while DelSignore was a senior wideout and defensive back and DeNiro a junior tight end-defensive end.
Lou went on to play defensive back at Pitt before transferring to North Carolina, and also served as an assistant coach at Adrian College, Syracuse and Michigan. He now is a foreman at Packard Electric and lives at home.
DelSignore attended Miami of Ohio but then transferred to Youngstown State. DeNiro went to Texas A & amp;M to play defensive end, but his life was cut tragically short while a sophomore when he was killed in a car accident in Louisiana.
The rest of family
Red's other son, John David Angelo, played defensive end at Chaney and Tulane and now lives in Palm Harbor, Fla. Red and his wife, Kathryn DelSignore, have two other children: a son Max, who has a farm in Leetonia, and a daughter, Cheryl Ann, who lives at home.
Red said that Jerry would get him tickets to any game that he wanted to see, including the Super Bowl.
"At this stage of my life I am, not interested in traveling," said Red.
So the Angelo family will huddle close to the television today to root for Jerry's Bears.
"We will just be watching the game with our family and wishing him well," said Red.
kovach@vindy.com