The San Francisco Dons football program were the intercollegiate American football team for University of San Francisco located in San Francisco, California. The team competed in NCAA Division II as a Division II Independent football program. The school's first football team was fielded in 1917. The program disbanded in 1982.
1951 season
Compared to local rivals Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, USF's football teams were historically not as strong. However, the 1951 Dons entered college football lore by fielding a team that would go undefeated and produce three National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famers (Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, Bob St. Clair), (Dick Stanfel, also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been a senior the year prior bringing the total for the 1950 team to four members enshrined), five who were selected to the Pro Bowl in their careers and eight in total who played in the NFL. The Sugar, Orange and Gator Bowls all considered inviting the Dons. However, all three were located in the South. Only the Orange Bowl was willing to invite the Dons, and then on the condition that Matson and Burl Toler, the Dons' only black players, were excluded. Although the football program was in severe financial straits (it was shut down after the season), the Dons turned down the bid. As a result, USF's finest football team ever was to be its last in Division I. Football made a brief comeback as a Division II sport from the 1960s to the early 1980s, but USF has not fielded a varsity team since 1982.
The coach, Joe Kuharich, at times, would delegate recruiting responsibilities to his freshman coach, Brad Lynn. Lynn had little to offer prospective players in the way of scholarship inducements beyond tuition and room and board in an old ROTC barracks. However, Lynn would take recruits to the highest hill on campus and gesture out towards the sweeping panorama of San Francisco saying, "THIS is your campus." Only a handful of players from that 1951 team had been considered blue-ribbon prospects in high school. Two of the team's best players, Toler and guard Louis (Red) Stephens, had not even played high school football. Marchetti was a high school dropout who had played only sparingly when he was in school.
The 1951 Dons were honored during the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and were the subject of the 2014 documentary '51 Dons.
National Award Winners
Walter Camp Man of the Year Award
The Walter Camp Man of the Year is given to the "Man of the Year" in the world of college football. The criteria for the award are "success, leadership, public service, integrity, and commitment to American heritage and Walter Camp's philosophy."
National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award
Every year, the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame pays tribute to a select few with awards of excellence for exhibiting superior qualities of scholarship, citizenship and leadership. Additionally, the Foundation also recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding support for promoting the game of amateur football. The Distinguished American Award is presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur sport in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community.
Reds Bagnell Award
The Reds Bagnell Award is presented annually to an individual for their contributions to the game of American football. The award is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. It is named for longtime Club president and College Football Hall of Fame member Reds Bagnell.
Pop Warner Trophy
The Glenn "Pop" Warner Memorial Trophy was awarded annually by the Palo Club to the most valuable senior player on the West Coast. It was awarded from 1949 to 2004. Notably, all but 5 recipients played for Pac-10 institutions. Ollie Mateson was the third recipient of the award.
All-Americans
Larry Siemering, C- 1933 (AP-3rd Team) Forrest Hall, HB- 1946 (NEA-3rd Team) Ollie Matson, FB -1951 (AP-1st Team; UP-2nd Team; CP-2nd Team; INSO-1st Team) (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) Ollie Matson, DB -1951 (NEAD-1st Team; FWD-1st Team) (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame)