| With apologies to Tony Bennett, the 1951 University of San Francisco
football team left its impression on the hearts of many in the "City by the
Bay." The Dons, once described as "a track star (Ollie Matson) and some local
toughs (Gino Marchetti and Joe Scudero)," became victims of their own success. The
green and gold finished the season undefeated, but the high cost of operating a big-time
football program at a small college took its toll. USF dropped football after that
outstanding season. What makes the team noteworthy are the three Pro Football Hall of
Fame players it produced. Marchetti, Matson and Bob St. Clair are enshrined in the Canton,
Ohio, museum. But there’s more to the story. This trio was joined in the NFL by eight
teammates and their head coach, Joe Kuharich.
Still not enough? The athletic news director was Alvin Rozelle, a.k.a. Pete — the
future commissioner of the NFL.
Want more? The best player on the team, by consensus of his teammates, was Burl Toler,
who got hurt in the College All-Star camp and missed out on an NFL playing career. Toler,
however, did work in the league with skill and dignity as a head linesman. He was the
league’s first African-American official.
This group had little difficulty completing a perfect 9-0 season. Bill Henneberry, a
quarterback and now director of athletic development at his alma mater, said, "We won
by an average score of 33-8."
Once the game was in hand, the students let the opponents know it. Taking a cue from a
popular folk song, with the USF band accompanying, they would sing, "Irene, good
night. Irene, good night. Good night, Irene," as they waved their handkerchiefs. With
no on-campus facilities, the team played in venerable Kezar Stadium.
Unable to meet the mounting costs, and missing out on a bowl game — there were
rumors the Orange Bowl committee was interested, but it never sent an invitation —
the sport was discontinued.
Kuharich was tapped to coach the Chicago Cardinals. Kuharich, in turn, tapped Matson in
the first round of the draft. Matson, who led the nation in scoring (126 points) and
rushing (1,566 yards), reported to camp late. He was occupied in Helsinki, Finland,
winning Olympic bronze in the 400 meters and silver with the 4x400 relay team.
Kuharich, whose NFL record never equaled what he did at USF, brought other Dons to
Chicago. Roy Barni, a textbook tackler off the 1950 team, played defensive back for the
Cardinals. Mike Mergen, a rugged tackle, also joined Kuharich. So did end Merrill Peacock.
The other end, Ralph Thomas, was also a ’52 Cardinal member.
Others went elsewhere, mainly via the NFL draft. Marchetti, the prototype of
today’s pass-rushing defensive end, actually served a year with the Dallas Texans
before the franchise move to Baltimore. Not realizing exactly what they had, the Texans
played the future fast-food millionaire at offensive tackle. With the Colts, Marchetti
formed the nucleus of championship teams in 1958 and 1959. He was selected to the
NFL’s all-time team in 1969 and again in 1994 as the NFL celebrated its 75th season.
Dick Stanfel, worthy of inclusion in the Hall of Fame — he’s come close on
occasion — debuted with the Lions in 1952. Stanfel broke the mold. He was the first
big, rangy (6-3, 236 pounds) guard. Most guards in that era were short and squat. Stanfel
played magnificently on Lions title teams of the 1950s. He remained in the NFL as a valued
assistant for decades and was a member of the Saints’ staff as recently as the
’97 season.
St. Clair transferred to Tulsa after the Dons disbanded, but the 6-foot-9 offensive
tackle couldn’t hide from the hometown 49ers, who selected him in the third round of
the 1953 draft. The All-Pro was used also on goal-line defense and blocked 10 field goals
in 1956.
Ed Brown made his NFL debut in 1954. The smooth-throwing quarterback led the Bears to
the 1956 title game and played a dozen seasons.
OG Lou Stephens, who didn’t pick up the nickname "Red" until he got to
the NFL, was reunited with Kuharich in 1955 with the Redskins after fulfilling a Korean
War military obligation.
Scudero lived up to his nickname "Scooter" as a kick returner and defensive
back. The 170-pound whippet gained 1,738 yards on returns in a six-year career.
After a rookie season that saw Matson take two of his 20 kickoff returns all the way
for touchdowns, he became one of the most feared and coveted players in the league. He was
truly something special. Scudero said, "He was the first really big, big back who
would run with sprinter’s speed. His Olympic medals prove that."
While the Cardinals were going nowhere, Matson was going everywhere. He rushed for 924
yards in 1956, when the 12-game schedule made 1,000 yards a true milestone. The next
season Matson averaged 22.6 yards on 20 catches. Prior to that, in 1955, he led the NFL in
punt-return yards (245) and average (18.8). In 1958, he averaged a league-leading 35.5
yards on kickoff returns.
When Matson was acquired (for nine players) by the Rams in ’59, he responded with
863 rushing yards but was later mismanaged. Because of his versatility, Rams coaches used,
or misused, him as a tight end, defensive back and flanker. His ability remained, but his
numbers fell off. Still, Matson racked up 760 all-around yards for Kuharich with the
Eagles in ’64.
Matson, an eloquent spokesman for the team, summed up the feelings of the talent-laden
Dons, who received relatively little recognition outside of the Bay Area. Said Matson,
"Undefeated, untied, uninvited. You see, you can’t cry over spilled milk. When
you know you’re the best — what difference does it make?"
Jim Campbell has been an observer of the pro football scene for half a century,
including stints with the Hall of Fame, NFL Properties and NFL Alumni. |
