Johnny McNally John Victor " Blood " McNally ( November 27 , 1903 – November 28 , 1985 ) was an American football player who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Early life . A native of New Richmond , Wisconsin McNally was an intelligent and unathletic youth who graduated from high school at age 14 . He blossomed into an athlete while at Saint John ' s University in Collegeville , Minnesota , where he became the captain of the basketball team and a letterman in track , baseball , and football , all in his junior year . " Johnny Blood " . With one year of college eligibility left , McNally and a friend decided to join a professional football team . While passing by a movie theater , McNally saw the title of the film " Blood and Sand " on the marquee . He turned to his friend and said , " That ' s it . You be Sand . I ' ll be Blood . " Using the alias " Johnny Blood " — an alias that became his nickname — McNally was able to play professional football without losing his college eligibility . Career highlights . McNally played in the National Football League for 14 seasons , with five different teams . In his prime , McNally was 6 ' 1 " and 188 lbs . , known for his speed , agility , and pass - catching ability . He got his professional start in 1925 with the Milwaukee Badgers , where he became famous as the " Vagabond Halfback " for his off - the - field behavior and spontaneity . In 1926 and 1927 he played for the Duluth Eskimos , with fellow Pro Football Hall Of Famer , Ernie Nevers , and in 1928 he played with the Pottsville Maroons . Between 1929 - 1933 , 1935 - 1936 , he played with the Green Bay Packers where he helped the Packers win four championships . He helped lead the Packers to three in a Row Championships 1929 - 1931 , as well as in 1936 . In 1937 , he moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers ( then called the Pirates ) , where on his first play he ran back a kick 92 yards for a touchdown . He ended his NFL career in 1939 as the head coach of the Pirates . One day in 1941 , McNally took a day off from his coaching duties for the Kenosha Cardinals minor league football team and played one game with the Buffalo Tigers of the third American Football League . From 1950 - 1952 , he coached football at Saint John ' s where he amassed 13 - 9 record during his three year stint . When leaving Saint John ' s , he told incoming head coach John Gagliardi that " nobody can win at Saint John ' s . " Gagliardi has gone on to become the winningest head coach in college football regardless of division and still coaches at Saint John ' s today . Later in life . McNally ' s spontaneous and bizarre behavior didn ' t stop with his football career . On one occasion , out of boredom , he climbed to the top of a train , walked to the engineer ' s car , dropped through the ceiling , and spent the rest of the trip entertaining the drivers . In the Second World War , McNally served as a cryptographer in India . He returned to Saint John ' s at age 42 to finish his economics degree and write a textbook on the subject . McNally was inducted into the National Football League Pro Football Hall of Fame Class in 1963 . Johnny Blood ' s life and career are the basis for the character Dodge Connolly in the movie " Leatherheads " . The character was played by George Clooney .