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November 15th, 2026

To Bataan and Back: How the NFL Survived WWII

Hear stories of the heroism and bravery of pro football players serving in the armed forces during WWII. Presented by local author and NFL enthusiast Joe Ziemba. Signup required.

From the NFL to Bataan and Back: The Heroic Journey of Notre Dame's Motts Tonelli

Hear inspiring stories of the heroism and bravery of professional football players who served in the armed forces during World War II. Presented by local author and NFL enthusiast Joe Ziemba.

Local author Joe Ziemba shares stories of the heroism and bravery of pro football players serving in the armed forces during WWII. For example, Mario “Motts” Tonelli became a national celebrity as a bruising fullback at Notre Dame and for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals. Tonelli willingly gave up his football career and volunteered for the U.S. Army prior to World War II. He then spent the entire conflict as a Japanese prisoner--enduring beatings and starvation--including surviving the horrific Bataan Death March. With hundreds of players in the service during the war, the National Football League struggled to survive; but it did so by combining teams, altering schedules, and adding players who had no business playing professional football! But the league, and Tonelli, persevered. When finally released after 42 months, the 210-pound Tonelli weighed less than 100 pounds. This program chronicles Tonelli, the NFL players, and their amazing stories of determination and survival in order to return to the game they loved!

Speaker bio: Joe Ziemba

Recognized as one of the leading authorities on the history of professional football in the country, Joe Ziemba is the award-winning author of the books When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL; Cadets, Cannons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy; and Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL’s Oldest Rivalry. In 2026, two of his books were published: the second edition of When Football Was Football and From the NFL to Bataan and Back: The Heroic Journey of Notre Dame’s Motts Tonelli. Another book focusing on the early history of the Chicago Bears called Dutch Sternaman: The Forgotten Pioneer of the NFL will be released in late 2027.

Because of his knowledge of the early days of the professional game, Joe has been a resource for articles or reports in Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Southtown, the Arizona Republic, NBC Sunday Night Football, CBS Sunday Football, ESPN, and many others. Joe has appeared on the WGN documentary “Football in Chicago,” on radio stations such as WBBM and WSCR in Chicago, as well as the Global Sports Broadcasting Network.

He hosts the “When Football Was Football” podcast on the Sports History Network (which was one of eight global finalists in both 2022, 2023, and in 2025 for the football/documentary podcast of the year) and is a frequent guest on numerous pro football podcasts. In 2022, Joe was the recipient of the prestigious Ralph Hay Award presented by the Professional Football Researchers Association for “lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography.” In 2023, Joe’s book Bears vs. Cardinals was awarded the “Certificate of Excellence” from the Illinois State Historical Society in that organization’s annual “Best of Illinois History Awards.” The book was also named as the second-place finalist for non-fiction book-of-the-year, sponsored by the Chicago Writers Association.

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