Galiffa played multiple sports for the Army Cadets, as they were then known, earning a total of 11 varsity letters:[4] four in baseball, four in basketball, and three in football.[5] For the four seasons he played football, 1946–1949, Army posted records of 9–0–1, 5–2–2, 8–0–1, and 9–0 for an aggregate record of 31–2–4 (.892) under head coach Earl Blaik. Galiffa was named to the 1949 All-Eastern football team,[6] and was a consensus selection to the 1949 College Football All-America Team.[7]
Galiffa graduated from West Point in June 1950, and was married that month to Margaret "Peggy" Perdok.[8] Galiffa went on to serve as a second lieutenant during the Korean War.[4]
After his military service, Galiffa played four seasons of professional football. He played in the NFL for the 1953 New York Giants, appearing in three games, and the 1954 San Francisco 49ers, appearing in four games.[9] He next played in the CFL for two season. With the BC Lions, he played 14 games in 1955 but was released after one game in 1956, as the team opted to use Tony Teresa as their quarterback.[9][10]
Galiffa was then signed by the Toronto Argonauts, who needed a new quarterback due to injury.[11] In 12 games with the 1956 Toronto Argonauts, he passed for 3,682 yards and 32 touchdowns.[9] Galiffa did not play professionally after 1956.
Outside of football, Galiffa worked for U.S. Steel for 23 years in operational staff services.[4] In November 1957, he won a seat on the borough council in his hometown of Donora;[12] as of February 1963, he was president of the council.[13]
Illness and death
Galiffa died from cancer in September 1978,[14] and was survived by his wife and three children.[4]
^A crop of this photograph was published in The Province newspaper of Vancouver on July 8, 1955. Its caption read, in part, "Across 49th parallel came ex-San Francisco 49-er Arnold Galiffa this morning to join B.C. Lions. The famed quarterback was freshening up at Hotel Georgia when Province cameraman Gordon Sedawie caught him."[1]
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