Art Donovan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Art Donovan | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 5, 1925 (age 81) |
| Place of birth |  Bronx, New York |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle |
| College | Boston College |
| Pro Bowls | 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 |
| Honors | NFL 1950s All-Decade Team |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1950 1951 1952 1953-1961 |
Baltimore Colts New York Yanks Dallas Texans Baltimore Colts |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1968 | |
Arthur Donovan, Jr. (born June 5, 1925 in the Bronx, New York) is a former American football defensive tackle. He is the son of Arthur Donovan, a famed boxing referee, and the grandson of Professor Mike Donovan, the world middleweight boxing champion in the 1870's.
He spent four years in military service with the United States Marine Corps during WW II before playing college football at Boston College. He graduated in 1950.
He started playing professional football with the Baltimore Colts in 1950, but that edition of the franchise folded. He moved to the New York Yanks in 1951; they became the Dallas Texans in 1952 and finally the Baltimore Colts in 1953. He became one of the stars in an outstanding defense and was selected to five straight Pro Bowls for 1954 to 1958. The Colts won back to back championships in 1958 and 1959.
He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. He published an autobiography, "Fatso", in 1987. He was noted as a jovial and humorous person during his playing career and capitalized on that with television and speaking appearances after retiring as a player. He owns and manages a country club near Baltimore.
Donovan also made a guest appearance in the Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete & Pete in the episode, "Space, Geeks, and Johnny Unitas."
Donovan was also guest commentator for the WWF's 1994 edition of King of the Ring alongside Gorilla Monsoon and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Was co-host of the popular 1990s program Braase, Donovan, Davis and Fans on WJZ-TV in Baltimore with fellow Colt teammate Ordell Braase. The trio talked more about Art Donovan's fabled stories than contemporary NFL football, but the show held high ratings in its time period.
[edit] External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Quotes from "King of the Ring": IMDB
- Donavan on Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills (pre-Super Bowl XXVII): Baltimore Sun, 1993
| Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts Retired Numbers |
|---|
| #19 Johnny Unitas • #22 Buddy Young • #24 Lenny Moore • #70 Art Donovan • #77 Jim Parker • #82 Raymond Berry • #89 Gino Marchetti |
| National Football League | NFL's 1950s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Otto Graham | Bobby Layne | Norm Van Brocklin | Frank Gifford | Ollie Matson | Hugh McElhenny | Lenny Moore | Alan Ameche | Joe Perry | Raymond Berry | Tom Fears | Bobby Walston | Elroy Hirsch | Rosey Brown | Bob St. Clair | Dick Barwegan | Jim Parker | Dick Stanfel | Chuck Bednarik | Len Ford | Gino Marchetti | Art Donovan | Leo Nomellini | Ernie Stautner | Joe Fortunato | Bill George | Sam Huff | Joe Schmidt | Jack Butler | Dick Lane | Jack Christiansen | Yale Lary | Emlen Tunnell | Lou Groza | |
Categories: 1925 births | American football defensive tackles | Baltimore Colts players | Baltimore Colts (1940s) players | Dallas Texans (NFL) players | Boston College Eagles football players | Irish-American sportspeople | Living people | New York Yanks players | NFL 1950s All-Decade Team | People from the Bronx | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Professional wrestling announcers
