# Don Durdan > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Don_Durdan > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Don_Durdan.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Durdan > Source revision: 1347433922 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American football and basketball player (1920–1971)}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Don Durdan | image = Don Durdan 1942.jpg | caption = Durdan, circa 1942 | position = [Half back](/source/Halfback_(American_football)), [defensive back](/source/defensive_back) | number = 93 | birth_date = September 21, 1920 | birth_place = [Arcata, California](/source/Arcata%2C_California), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1971|6|28|1920|9|21}} | death_place = [Corvallis, Oregon](/source/Corvallis%2C_Oregon), U.S. | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 9 | weight_lbs = 175 | high_school = [Eureka](/source/Eureka_High_School_(California)) {{avoid wrap|([Eureka, California](/source/Eureka%2C_California))}} | college = [Oregon State](/source/Oregon_State_Beavers_football) | undraftedyear = 1943 | pastteams = *[San Francisco 49ers](/source/San_Francisco_49ers) (1946–1947) | statlabel1 = Rushing att–yards | statvalue1 = 33–134 | statlabel2 = [Receptions](/source/Reception_(American_football))–yards | statvalue2 = 2–27 | statlabel3 = [Touchdown](/source/Touchdown)s | statvalue3 = 1 | pfr = | highlights = * Second-team [All-PCC](/source/List_of_All-Pac-12_Conference_football_teams) ([1941](/source/1941_All-Pacific_Coast_football_team)) *[1942 Rose Bowl](/source/1942_Rose_Bowl) MVP *[Oregon Sports Hall of Fame](/source/Oregon_Sports_Hall_of_Fame), 1981 * Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, 1988 * Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame, 1988 | HOF = | CollegeHOF = }} '''Donald Edgar Durdan''' (September 21, 1920 – June 28, 1971) was an American professional [football](/source/American_football) and [basketball](/source/basketball) player. He played collegiately for the [Oregon State Beavers](/source/Oregon_State_Beavers). ==Early life== Durdan was born in [Arcata, California](/source/Arcata%2C_California) and attended [Eureka High School](/source/Eureka_High_School_(California)), where he played [running back](/source/running_back) on the [high school football](/source/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.{{cite web|url=http://www.humboldt.k12.ca.us/hdnleagu/media/Century1900.htm|title=Pigg tops athletes of century|accessdate=2007-11-05|date=January 2, 2000|work=[Times-Standard](/source/Times-Standard) (Eureka, Calif.)}} Durdan went on to [Oregon State University](/source/Oregon_State_University), where he [started](/source/starting_lineup) in [baseball](/source/baseball), [basketball](/source/basketball), and [football](/source/College_football), and was a member of [Pacific Coast Conference](/source/Pacific_Coast_Conference) championship teams in each sport. He was named an [All-American](/source/All-American) in basketball in his senior year of 1943.{{cite web|url=http://digitalcollections.library.oregonstate.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/archives&CISOPTR=281|title=Best of OSU Archives|accessdate=2007-11-06|publisher=Oregon State University Archives|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214001322/http://digitalcollections.library.oregonstate.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Farchives&CISOPTR=281|archivedate=2007-12-14}} ==Rose Bowl MVP== In 1941, the [Beavers football](/source/Oregon_State_Beavers_football) team won the [Pacific Coast Conference](/source/Pacific_Coast_Conference) and a berth in the [1942 Rose Bowl](/source/1942_Rose_Bowl) against the undefeated [Duke Blue Devils](/source/Duke_Blue_Devils). With the United States' entry into [World War II](/source/World_War_II), concern about a [Japan](/source/Japan)ese attack on the [West Coast](/source/West_Coast_of_the_United_States) brought a relocation of the game to Duke's home stadium in [Durham, North Carolina](/source/Durham%2C_North_Carolina).{{cite web|url=http://www.sports-venue.info/NCAAF/Bowls/T_Rose_Bowl_Timeline.html |title=Rose Bowl Timeline |publisher=Pasadena Tournament of Roses |accessdate=2007-11-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522115924/http://www.sports-venue.info/NCAAF/Bowls/T_Rose_Bowl_Timeline.html |archivedate=2008-05-22 }} In spite of the fact that Duke was favored by two [touchdown](/source/touchdown)s, the Beavers pulled off a major upset, winning 20–16.{{cite journal|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,773048,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014153033/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,773048,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 14, 2010|journal=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))|title=Underdog Bites Duke|date=January 12, 1942|accessdate=2007-11-06}} 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 Beavers' only Rose Bowl victory. ==Professional career== Durdan served in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).{{cite web|title=Our History|url=http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/aboutus/history.cfm?page=2&fh_id=11095&s_id=62DBB3382DC2CF18CDF0339F44C41E82|publisher=DeMoss and Durdan Funeral Home and Crematory|accessdate=2007-11-06}} After the war, Durdan signed with the [San Francisco 49ers](/source/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](/source/Portland_Indians) of the [Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League](/source/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](/source/Seattle_Athletics).{{cite web|url=http://www.apbr.org/pcpbl.html|title=Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League 1946-47 to 1947-48|last=Kenyon|first=J. Michael|accessdate=2007-11-06|publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research}} ==Personal== In 1946, Durdan married Maxine DeMoss, sister of Oregon golf champion [Grace DeMoss](/source/Grace_DeMoss) (another DeMoss sister married Durdan's Rose Bowl teammate [Quentin Greenough](/source/Quentin_Greenough)).{{cite web|url=http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2004/10/21/news/obituaries/thuobi01.txt|title=Obituary: Raymond "Rick" Greenough|work=[Corvallis Gazette-Times](/source/Corvallis_Gazette-Times)|date=October 20, 2004|accessdate=2007-11-07}} Following his sports career, Durdan became a [funeral director](/source/funeral_director) in his wife's family's funeral home business in [Corvallis, Oregon](/source/Corvallis%2C_Oregon). He died in Corvallis in 1971. He was inducted into the [Oregon Sports Hall of Fame](/source/Oregon_Sports_Hall_of_Fame) in 1981,{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonsportshall.org/inductee-members.html |publisher=Oregon Sports Hall of Fame |title=Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members |accessdate=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727152755/http://www.oregonsportshall.org/inductee-members.html |archivedate=July 27, 2011 }} and in 1988, to both the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp |title=Rose Bowl Hall of Fame |accessdate=2007-11-06 |publisher=Pasadena Tournament of Roses |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311130751/http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp |archivedate=2008-03-11 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.osubeavers.com/ot/varsity-o-hall-of-fame.html|title=Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame|publisher=Oregon State Sports Information|accessdate=May 24, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104155007/http://www.osubeavers.com/ot/varsity-o-hall-of-fame.html|archivedate=November 4, 2011}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{Find a Grave}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Durdan, Don}} Category:1920 births Category:1971 deaths Category:People from Arcata, California Category:Sportspeople from Corvallis, Oregon Category:Players of American football from Humboldt County, California Category:All-American college men's basketball players Category:American football running backs Category:Oregon State Beavers football players Category:Oregon State Beavers men's basketball players Category:United States Navy sailors Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II Category:San Francisco 49ers players Category:American men's basketball players Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Don Durdan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Durdan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Durdan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.