The '51 Dons

[3GT]

Anyone else see the ESPN 30 for 30 covering the 1951 U-San Francisco Dons football team ?

Orange Bowl picked GT(10-0-1) over USF(9-0) to play Baylor in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1952, because the Orange Bowl would not allow black players. USF had 3-4 black players

http://www.usfdons.com/news/2014/2/4/GEN_0204142654.aspx

In 1951, USF was desperate for a bowl bid to win enough money to continue their football program.
The loss of the bowl bid effectively ended the USF football program.

USF once had a great B-Ball program that came to a bad end and was disbanded in 1982-82.

http://www.orangebowl.org/orange-bowl-history/the-history-of-the-orange-bowl/1950s/1952/

 

[turbanicusgt]

10-0-1 baybeeeeeeee. Guaranteed, IMO.

 

[Allen Koholic]

Baylor was the replacement.

 

[bellyseries]

one of those black players was Ollie Matson.

 

[BarrelORum]

one of those black players was Ollie Matson.

I always wondered what happened to him.

 

[texstinger]

Saw that show, and it was another great ESPN production.

I had no idea SF was that good and the players they had.

Mattson, St. Clair, Toler. Did not know that Toler (Tolar?) was that great. Said in the college all-star game vs NFL champs he dominated the NFL guys . Hurt his leg and ended his career, yet he went on to become an educator that impacted thousands of young people. Was really touching seeing the children of children he taught come back to tell him what he had meant in all those lives.

Believe Bill Russell played BB for the Dons.

 

[TKDJeff]

The Dons? Did their mascot look like Marlon Brando?

 

[KG01]

Believe Bill Russell played BB for the Dons.

I recall that as well.

The Dons? Did their mascot look like Marlon Brando?

Why would it not?

 

[TechRush]

Dons had an unfair advantage. I'm sure if you had a team of house cats with a few mountain lions on it they would beat all the other teams of house cats.

 

[refrigeratormover]

Baylor was the replacement.

Says in Documentary that GT was the replacement.

 

[bellyseries]

I always wondered what happened to him.

He died of dementia complications in 2011.

 

[refrigeratormover]

Also if I heard correctly they were the first team to have either 3 or 4 NFL HofFamers at same time. Awesome Documentary.

 

[georgytech]

1951: 9-0-0
Coach:
Joseph L. "Joe" Kuharich

W/L​

Date​

PF​

Opponent​

PA​

Location​

Notes​

W​

09-21-1951​

39​

San Jose St. (CA)​

2​

San Francisco, CA​

​

W​

09-29-1951​

28​

Idaho​

7​

Boise, ID​

​

W​

10-07-1951​

26​

Camp Pendleton (CA)​

0​

San Francisco, CA​

Kezar Stadium​

W​

10-12-1951​

42​

San Jose St. (CA)​

7​

San Jose, CA​

​

W​

10-20-1951​

32​

Fordham (NY)​

26​

New York, NY​

​

W​

10-26-1951​

26​

San Diego NTS (CA)​

7​

San Francisco, CA​

​

W​

11-04-1951​

26​

Santa Clara (CA)​

7​

San Francisco, CA​

​

W​

11-17-1951​

47​

Pacific (CA)​

14​

Stockton, CA​

​

W​

11-25-1951​

20​

Loyola Marymount (CA)​

2​

San Francisco, CA​

​

​

 

[TechRush]

Good grief their strength of schedule must have been ranked 151 no wonder they were not invited to the game