In 1931 the Warren and Barrington Gazette called Rick Vitullo “the best linebacker seen in Rhode Island semipro ranks this fall.”  Only a teenager at the time, Rick starred for the Warren Wanderers, who cemented their place as one of the state’s top two teams with a 7-0 defeat of the Rosewoods at the Providence Cycledrome.  He had earlier scored the winning touchdowns in wins over the Eagan All Stars and the Royals of Olneyville.

Having received Class B honors in his only season of Warren High School football competition, Rick later starred at Providence College,  where he was the Friars’ starting fullback in 1937. 

When the Dominicans defeated Xavier, 7-6, the Providence Journal had this to say, “Big Dick Vitullo, the 216-pounder from Warren, (reentered) the game in the fourth quarter and immediately things began to change.  He hit the line so hard he bowled over Xavier’s back-ups.  The entire atmosphere changed, and the Friars went seventy yards for the winning score.”  Later in the year the Journal accompanied Rick’s picture with the comment that he “was one of the best sprinters on the Providence College team and was a capable defensive player.”

He later played for the American Association’s Jersey City Giants, who were the league’s undefeated champions in 1938.  The next year he returned home and starred for the Association’s Providence Steam Rollers.  The Association was one step below the National Football League.

Picture from Hall of Fame archives (Providence Journal-Bulletin 1937)