Celeri was selected in the 10th round of the 1950 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and signed with them in June 1950. He was released by the team in early September, prior to their first regular season game. After sitting out the 1950 season, Celeri signed with the New York Yanks in July 1951. The 1951 Yanks had a record of 1–9–2 and finished last in the National Conference – Celeri played in 11 of their 12 games, passing for 1797 yards and rushing for 107 yards; he threw 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He was an Honorable Mention for the 1951 All-Pro team. The Yanks franchise did not continue after the 1951 season, essentially being replaced by the Dallas Texans for the 1952 season. Celeri signed with the Texans in April 1952, becoming the first player to sign with the club. The 1952 Texans had a record of 1–11 and finished last in the National Conference – Celeri played in 8 of their 12 games, passing for 490 yards and rushing for 135 yards; he threw 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. During the season, Celeri was named in a paternity suit; and was later ordered to provide child support.
