Joseph Patrick Duffy was one of the most heralded athletes of one of the most successful periods in Stivers’ football history. After graduating from Stivers he went on to play football for the UD Flyers and then the NFL Dayton Triangles. He graduated from the UD Law School in 1930, served in the US Navy in the Pacific theater during WWII and had a very successful law career working for the city of Dayton.
Patrick or Pat as he preferred and best known by, was a bruising fullback of arguably the most honored football team in Stivers’ history. In 1924, they beat Knoxville, Tennessee 7 to 6 and claimed the high school national championship.
Also in 1924, the Tigers trounced arch rival Steele H. S. by the score of 49 to 0. Pat played a whale of a game on both offense and defense with a bad case of mumps. It was said that his face was swollen twice its normal size.
At UD, Pat was also the Flyers fullback but missed much of the season in 1926 with a dislocated elbow. In 1927, he came back strong. Against Findlay College, with many first team players on the bench, Pat scored 3 touchdowns in a 66 to 0 route. He had a unique ability to be able to pass or punt with either hand or foot.
In 1929, Duffy played in 5 games for the NFL Dayton Triangles and scored their last points before the team was sold and moved. In 1930, he played for the semi-pro Dayton Kesslers but came down with a very serious case of double pneumonia and nearly died.
Patrick was hired in 1936 by the city of Dayton as an assistant city attorney and then in 1942 was promoted to city prosecutor. Later in 1942, Pat enlisted in the US Navy. Initially he served with the Seabees in the Pacific unloading equipment and ammunitions under fire in the Solomon and Palau Islands. Later he assumed his regular duties as court-martial attorney. After serving 27 months with the US Navy, Pat was discharged in September 1945.
Patrick came back to work for the city of Dayton Law Department. Unfortunately he passed away of a heart attack at the age of 58 in 1965 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
He was married twice, first to Dorothy Potterf DiBlasi, and in 1943 to Virginia Robinson. He and Virginia had 3 children.