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Thomas Anthony Colella (July 3, 1918 – May 15, 1992) was an American professional football halfback, punter and safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Rams, the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills.
Colella grew up in New York and was a high school football star in his hometown of Albion, New York. He played four years of college football at Canisius College before being drafted by the NFL's Detroit Lions. He was on the Lions' roster for two years, after which he moved to the Rams in 1945 and the Browns of the AAFC in 1946. Colella stayed with the Browns for three years, in each of which the team won the AAFC championship. He spent the 1949 season with the Buffalo Bills before leaving football.
With the Browns, Colella was a punter and defensive halfback between 1946 and 1948. Colella had 10 interceptions in 1946, leading the AAFC. Cleveland coach Paul Brown said in 1948 that Colella provided "the type of punt we want against such dangerous receivers as the Rockets and Buffalo Bills have. All of his kicks have gone out of bounds, and our opponents have gained exactly no yards on returns in the last two games." Cleveland won the AAFC championship in each of the three seasons he was with the team.
Colella was traded to the Buffalo Bills in May 1949 along with Chet Adams, his former Rams teammate. "We have won three championships, but we can't remain at a standstill," Brown said. He played one season for the Bills before leaving football.
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