Don Durdan
Encyclopedia
Donald Edgar Durdan was a professional American football
and basketball
player.
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.
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.
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 an Japan
ese attack on the West Coast
brought a relocation of the game to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina
. In spite of the fact that Duke was favored by two touchdown
s, the Beavers pulled off a major upset, winning 20-16. 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. This remains the only Beavers' Rose Bowl victory.
during World War II
. 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.
(another DeMoss sister married Durdan's Rose Bowl teammate Quentin Greenough
). Following his sports career, Durdan became a funeral director
in his wife's family's funeral home business in Corvallis, Oregon
. He died in Corvallis in 1971. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1981, and in 1988, to both the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Early life
Durdan was born in Arcata, CaliforniaArcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
and attended Eureka High School
Eureka High School (California)
Eureka High School, originally Eureka Senior High School , is the public high school for the city of Eureka, California...
, where he played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
on the high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. In 1935, Durdan's team was not only undefeated, but they did not allow their opponents to score a single point.
Durdan went on to Oregon State
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
, where he started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, and was a member of Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
championship teams in each sport. He was named an All-American in basketball in his senior year of 1943.
Rose Bowl MVP
In 1941, the Beavers footballOregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
team won the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
and a berth in the 1942 Rose Bowl
1942 Rose Bowl
The 1942 Rose Bowl was the 28th Rose Bowl game. Originally scheduled to be played in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, it was moved to Durham, North Carolina, due to fears about an attack by the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor...
against the undefeated Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
. With the United States' entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, concern about an Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese attack on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
brought a relocation of the game to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. In spite of the fact that Duke was favored by two touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, the Beavers pulled off a major upset, winning 20-16. 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. This remains the only Beavers' Rose Bowl victory.
Professional career
Durdan served in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, Durdan signed with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
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
Portland Indians
The Portland Indians were a professional basketball team in Portland, Oregon. They were a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League for the duration of the league, which only lasted two seasons: 1946–47 and 1947–48...
of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
The Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League was a professional basketball league with teams from the Pacific Northwest in the United States and Canada...
. 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.
Personal
In 1946, Durdan married Maxine DeMoss, sister of Oregon golf champion Grace DeMossGrace DeMoss
Grace DeMoss Zwahlen is a former competitive women's American amateur golfer from Oregon. One of the most successful female golfers from the Pacific Northwest, she was the first Pacific Northwesterner to be named to the prestigious United States Curtis Cup team in 1952 and 1954...
(another DeMoss sister married Durdan's Rose Bowl teammate Quentin Greenough
Quentin Greenough
Quentin Carl Greenough is a former American football player.-Football career:Greenough was born in Porterville, California and later moved to San Gabriel, California. He attended Alhambra High School, then enrolled at Oregon State College where he became the starting center...
). Following his sports career, Durdan became a funeral director
Funeral director
A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
in his wife's family's funeral home business in Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
. He died in Corvallis in 1971. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1981, and in 1988, to both the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame.