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Don Durdan

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Don Durdan
refer to caption
Durdan, circa 1942
No. 93
Position:Half back
Defensive back
Personal information
Born:September 21, 1920
Arcata, California, U.S.
Died:June 28, 1971(1971-06-28) (aged 50)
Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school:Eureka (CA)
College:Oregon State
Undrafted:1943
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing att–yards:33–134
Receptions–yards:2–27
Touchdowns:1

Donald Edgar Durdan (September 21, 1920 – June 28, 1971) was a professional American football and basketball player.

Early life

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Durdan was born in Arcata, California and attended Eureka High School, where he played running back on the high school football team. In 1935, Durdan's team was not only undefeated, but they did not allow their opponents to score a single point.[1]

Durdan went on to Oregon State, where he started in baseball, basketball, and football, and was a member of Pacific Coast Conference championship teams in each sport. He was named an All-American in basketball in his senior year of 1943.[2]

Rose Bowl MVP

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In 1941, the Beavers football team won the Pacific Coast Conference and a berth in the 1942 Rose Bowl against the undefeated Duke Blue Devils. With the United States' entry into World War II, concern about a Japanese attack on the West Coast brought a relocation of the game to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina.[3] In spite of the fact that Duke was favored by two touchdowns, the Beavers pulled off a major upset, winning 20–16.[4] Durdan, who showed his all-around skill by rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown, passing, and punting, was named the game's most valuable player.[3] This remains the Beavers' only Rose Bowl victory.

Professional career

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Durdan served in the United States Navy during World War II.[5] After the war, Durdan signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1946, where he played halfback as well as defensive back for one full season and part of a second in 1947.

In addition to playing professional football, Durdan also played professional basketball for the Portland Indians of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League. The league lasted just two seasons (1946–47 and 1947–48), but Durdan's Indians won the best-of-five league championship in 1948 over the rival Seattle Athletics.[6]

Personal

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In 1946, Durdan married Maxine DeMoss, sister of Oregon golf champion Grace DeMoss (another DeMoss sister married Durdan's Rose Bowl teammate Quentin Greenough).[5][7] Following his sports career, Durdan became a funeral director in his wife's family's funeral home business in Corvallis, Oregon.[5] He died in Corvallis in 1971. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981,[8] and in 1988, to both the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ "Pigg tops athletes of century". Times-Standard (Eureka, Calif.). January 2, 2000. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  2. ^ "Best of OSU Archives". Oregon State University Archives. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Rose Bowl Timeline". Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  4. ^ "Underdog Bites Duke". Time. January 12, 1942. Archived from the original on October 14, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c "Our History". DeMoss and Durdan Funeral Home and Crematory. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  6. ^ Kenyon, J. Michael. "Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League 1946-47 to 1947-48". Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  7. ^ "Obituary: Raymond "Rick" Greenough". Corvallis Gazette-Times. October 20, 2004. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
  8. ^ "Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  9. ^ "Rose Bowl Hall of Fame". Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  10. ^ "Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame". Oregon State Sports Information. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
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