Kind Donovan
| Kind Donovan | |
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Position (s): Defensive tackle |
Jersey numbers: 39, 49, 70 |
| born June 5, 1925 in Bronx , New York City | |
| died on August 4, 2013 in Baltimore , Maryland | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1950 - 1961 | |
| NFL Draft : 1947 / Round: 22 / Pick: 204 | |
| College : Boston College | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Years of play | 12 |
| Games | 138 |
| Forced fumble | 8th |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Arthur James "Art" Donovan, Jr. (born June 5, 1925 in Bronx , New York City , † August 4, 2013 in Baltimore , Maryland ), nickname : "The Bulldog" was an American American football player. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), including for the Baltimore Colts , with whom he won the NFL championship in 1958 and 1959 .
youth
The grandfather of Art Donovan, Mike O'Donovan , fought in the American Civil War and was a middleweight boxer boxing champion . His father, Arthur Donovan Sr., was a referee in boxing. Both were engaged in the New York Athletic Club together with Theodore Roosevelt , where Mike was Roosevelt's boxing coach. Art Donovan attended high school in the Bronx , where he took his first steps as a football player.
Player career
College career
Art Donovan received a scholarship from the University of Notre Dame in 1942 . The following year he left that college and served in the United States Marine Corps . Donovan fought in the Pacific Ocean . He was released in October 1945 but could not resume his studies in South Bend . He therefore joined Boston College . For the Boston College Eagles , the football team based there, which has a great rivalry with the University of Notre Dame team, he played as a tackle both on defense and offense . In 1947 he was selected by the New York Giants in the 22nd round in 204 place of the NFL Draft . Donovan decided to finish his studies and not play for the Giants.
Professional career
In 1950 Art Donovan joined the former All-America Football Conference (AAFC) team, the Baltimore Colts, as a defensive tackle . After the AAFC had to stop playing due to financial problems in 1949, the Colts were taken over by the NFL. The first professional season was disappointing for Donovan. The Colts lost eleven of their twelve games and were expelled from the NFL after the season. In 1951 he joined the New York Yanks , who moved to Dallas a year later and were renamed the Dallas Texans. Both teams were unsuccessful. After that season, the Texans gave up game operations, making them the last NFL team to cease playing. Many Texans players were hired by the Baltimore Colts , founded in 1953, but they have no official relationship with the Texans. 1954 Weeb Ewbank took over the coaching position with the Colts. He managed to build a top team with players like quarterback Johnny Unitas , wide receiver Raymond Berry or fullback Alan Ameche . Donovan became a key player in the Colts defense alongside Gino Marchetti .
In 1958, Arthur Donovan won his first NFL title. The Colts qualified for the NFL championship game and competed in that game against the New York Giants . The game was balanced for a long time. Only a few seconds before the end of the game did the Maryland team equalize. Alan Ameche scored the decisive touchdown in overtime and the Colts won 23:17. The game was later dubbed The Greatest Game Ever Played by commentators and contributed greatly to the rapidly growing popularity of professional football.
In 1959 Donovan was able to win his second title. Again the Giants were the opponents in the NFL final. They had to admit defeat again, this time with 31:16. In 1961 Art Donovan ended his playing career.
According to the NFL
Art Donovan has appeared repeatedly as a guest and host on various television shows after his career. In 1987 he published his autobiography . Art Donovan owned and ran a country club in Towson , Maryland with his wife . Art Donavan died on August 4, 2013 in a hospital in Baltimore. He is buried in the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium , Maryland.
Honors
Arthur Donovan played in the Pro Bowl five times and was voted All-Pro six times . His shirt number 70 is no longer used by the Colts. He is a member of the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame , the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame, the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The Baltimore Ravens , a club he has never played for, honor him, like many former Colts players, on the Ring of Honor .
Web links
- interview
- CV at ESPN
- Curriculum Vitae II ( Memento from February 11, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- Short biography ( memento from January 25, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- Art Donovan at college
- Art Donovan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Art Donovan's Tomb on the Find a Grave website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Biography of Mike O'Donovan
- ↑ On This Date in Sports November 27, 1952. Retrieved April 20, 2019 .
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Colts 1958
- ↑ NFL final 1958 statistics
- ↑ History of the Game in the Chicago Tribune
- ^ Stefan Feldmann: History - Indianapolis Colts. bigplay.ch, September 6, 2016, accessed on October 29, 2019 .
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Colts 1959
- ↑ NFL final 1959 statistics
- ^ Former website of the Valley Country Club ( Memento from July 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ David Ginsburg: Hall of Fame DT Art Donovan dead at 89. The Big Story, August 4, 2013, accessed August 5, 2013 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Donovan, Art |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Donovan, Arthur James Junior; The Bulldog (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 5, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bronx , New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | 4th August 2013 |
| Place of death | Baltimore , Maryland |