Paul Thomas Salata was born on October 17, 1926 in Los Angeles, California to a Serbian-born father and second generation Serbian-American mother who instilled a strong work ethic in him. He is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He played for the AAFC/NFL's San Francisco 49ers (1949–1950) and the AAFC's Baltimore Colts (1950) . After the Colts franchise folded in 1950 he was declared draft-eligible and was subsequently drafted in the tenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although he played just one and a half seasons with the 49ers, he holds a special place in team lore. He scored the 49ers final touchdown in the All-American Football Conference, as well as the t