Don Doll
Encyclopedia
Donald LeRoy Doll formerly Don Burnside, was an American football
player and coach.
Doll played college football for the USC Trojans
(1944, 1946–1948) and professional football in the National Football League
with the Detroit Lions
(1949–1953), Washington Redskins
(1954) and Los Angeles Rams
(1955). He was selected to play in each of the first four Pro Bowl
s and was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1953 Pro Bowl. He played safety on the 1952 Detroit Lions team
that won the NFL championship. He tied an NFL record in 1949 with four interceptions in a single game and is the only player in NFL history to have 10 or more interceptions in each of three different seasons (1949, 1950 and 1953). When he retired at the end of the 1954 season, he was the NFL's all-time leader with 41 interceptions.
After retiring as a player, Doll worked as a football coach for 34 years, serving as the head coach at West Contra Costa Junior College
in 1956 and as an assistant coach with the University of Washington
(1955), USC (1957–1958), Notre Dame (1959–1962), Detroit Lions (1963–1964), Los Angeles Rams (1965), Washington Redskins
(1966–1970), Green Bay Packers
(1971–1973), Baltimore Colts
(1974), Miami Dolphins
(1975–1976), San Francisco 49ers
(1977) and Detroit Lions (1978–1988). During his NFL career, he was associated with the game's legendary coaches, as a player for Curly Lambeau
and an assistant coach under Vince Lombardi
and Don Shula
.
in Sacramento, California
, where he was an all-league quarterback. Doll was also named Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year for football in 1943. He is one of only four Sacramento-area players to earn the honor.
(both offensive and defensive) for the USC Trojans from 1944 to 1948, though he did not play in 1945 while serving in the military. He led USC in rushing three times—in 1944, 1947 and 1948. He also led the team in receptions and scoring in 1948.
, Doll had an immediate impact. He played halfback on both offense and defense (the norm in 1944), intercepting a Bob Waterfield
pass and returning it 16 yards to the UCLA 22-yard line. On the next play, the Trojans again gave the ball to Doll who ran 20 yards to the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Doll scored on a 1-yard run to give USC a 13-0 lead at halftime.
After the season opener, USC coach Jeff Cravath
announced that Doll was being switched to the quarterback position for the second game of the season. Despite the experiment, Doll played principally at halfback during the 1944 season. Prior to the final regular season game (a re-match against UCLA), Al Wolf of the Los Angeles Times called him "S.C.'s 18-year-old freshman whiz."
The 1944 Trojans finished the season undefeated with an 8-0-2 record and defeated Tennessee
25-0 in the 1945 Rose Bowl
. Doll played 43 minutes in the Rose Bowl and was the game's leading rusher. Los Angeles Times sports writer Braven Dyer wrote that Doll "shouldered the ball carrying burden almost single handedly" in the Rose Bowl.
. He served aboard the battleship USS Missouri
and was an eyewitness to the Japanese surrender ceremony on the ship's deck on September 2, 1945.
However, Doll recalled that "sports writers had a field day" with his new name: "When I weaved downfield I was the 'Dancing Doll.' If I took too long on a play, I was the 'Mechanical Doll.'"
Doll played at the left halfback position for the 1946 Trojans. In the final game of the season, a 20-14 victory over Tulane
in New Orleans, Doll had a key interception and return for 34 yards.
with an average of 45 yards per punt; he was also leading the Conference with an average of 20 yards on punt returns. One of the highlights of the 1947 season for USC was a 32-0 victory in Columbus, Ohio
, over a highly touted Ohio State team
. Doll started the Trojans' scoring against the Buckeyes with a 42-yard touchdown run around the left end in the first quarter. Doll's longest gain of the season was a 95-yard kickoff return in a 21-0 victory over Cal
.
At the end of the 1947 season, Doll was picked as a first-team back on the United Press All-Coast Conference team.
The 1947 Trojans won the Pacific Coast Conference championship and faced Michigan's famed "Mad Magicians" team
in the 1948 Rose Bowl
. USC lost the game 49-0, and Doll was one of the few USC players praised for his performance in the game. Sports writer Maxwell Stiles wrote, "Don Doll was a power in the secondary until he was forced out with what was reported to be a broken arm."
. The following week, Doll again scored USC's only touchdown, this time in an 8-7 loss to Oregon
. He added two touchdowns in a 32-7 win over Washington
.
At the end of the 1948 season, Doll was selected as a first-team halfback on the Associated Press
All-Pacific Coast Team. He was also selected as the halfback and punter for the West team in the 1948 East-West Shrine Game
.
in the 9th round (67th overall pick) of the 1948 NFL Draft
and signed a one-year contract with the team in February 1949. He played as a defensive back
for the Lions for four years from 1949 to 1952. He was selected as an All-Pro player in his first three seasons in the NFL (1949–1951). He was also selected four times to play in the Pro Bowl
(1950–1953).
At 5 feet, 11 inches, and 185 pounds, Doll was small for a professional football player. In a 1954 profile on Doll, a reporter noted, "Don, who's built like a bank clerk, piano tuner, soda jerk, errand boy or -- egad -- even a sports writer doesn't look any more like a pro gridder than your cousin Joe." Doll explained how he handled the disparity in size with the players he was required to tackle:
on October 8, 1949. His 301 return yards off interceptions set an NFL record that stood until 1961. His total still ranks 5th all-time in NFL history. Doll still holds the record for most interception return yards by a rookie, and it is one of the oldest remaining records in the NFL.
Doll also led the NFL in 1949 with 536 kickoff return yards. He also tied an NFL record on October 23, 1949 with four interceptions in a 24-7 win over the Chicago Cardinals.
in 1948.
At the end of the 1950 season, Doll was selected as a first-team All-Pro for the second straight year and was also selected to appear in his first Pro Bowl
.
s and received the George S. Halas Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 1953 Pro Bowl. Doll played safety on the 1952 Detroit Lions team
that won the NFL championship. Though the 1952 Lions team is remembered mostly for the offensive output of Bobby Layne
, the defense included Doll and Les Bingaman
and led the NFL in both scoring defense and rush defense.
In 2008, Doll was selected as a member of the Lions' 75th Season All-Time Team, recognizing him as "one of franchise's greatest players." He still holds Lions' team records for interceptions in a season (12) and interception return yards in a season (301).
, where he played under head coach Curly Lambeau
. Doll totaled 10 interceptions for the 1953 season, making him the first player in NFL history to tally at least 10 interceptions in each of three seasons (11 in 1949, 12 in 1950 and 10 in 1953). Doll remains the only player in NFL history to accomplish this feat in three seasons. He was also selected for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl
began with the 1950 NFL season
, and Doll is one of the few players to have played in each of the first four Pro Bowls.
, told the Los Angeles Times, "This is good news. I've wanted to play for the Rams since I got out of school." Doll concluded his playing career with the Rams and had five interceptions in 1954. When he retired at the end of the 1954 season, Doll was the NFL's all-time career leader with 41 interceptions.
In 1955, Doll was hired as an assistant coach at the University of Washington
under head coach John Cherberg
. Doll was put in charge of defensive backs for the Huskies. During his one year at Washington, the Huskies had the 10th best passing defense in the country, allowing only 60 yards per game in passing yards.
In 1956, Doll accepted a head coaching position at West Contra Costa Junior College
.
In February 1957, Doll returned to USC as the Trojans' backfield coach under head coach Don Clark. At the time of his hiring, the Los Angeles Times called Doll "an all-time SC great" and "one of the top defensive backs in football history." Doll served as USC's backfield coach during the 1957 and 1958 seasons. He also served as an assistant on the College All-Star coaching staff in 1957 and 1958.
In February 1959, Doll was hired by Notre Dame
as its backfield coach under head coach Joe Kuharich
. Prior to the 1959 game between USC and Notre Dame, Braven Dyer warned in the Los Angeles Times that the man who had "mapped SC's secondary defense" was "now in the camp of the enemy." Notre Dame defeated USC in 1959 by a score of 16-6. Doll was Notre Dame's backfield coach throughout Kuharich's tenure which ended after the 1962 season.
In January 1963, Doll was hired by the Detroit Lions
as their defensive backfield coach. Doll, who was then 36 years old, replaced Don Shula
, who left the Lions coaching staff to become the head coach of the Baltimore Colts. Doll remained the Lions' defensive backfield coach through the 1963 and 1964 NFL seasons. At the end of the 1964 season, Doll was "swept out" of the Lions organization when team owner William Clay Ford
"purged the coaching staff."
In January 1965, Doll was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive backfield coach under head coach Harland Svare. Doll remained with the Rams for only one season.
In 1966, Doll was hired as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins
under head coach Otto Graham
. Doll remained with Redskins as the defensive backfield coach for five years and through three head coaches. In 1969, Vince Lombardi
was hired as the Redskins' head coach. Doll served as an assistant coach under Lombardi during the 1969 NFL season
, which was Lombardi's last as a coach. Doll also served under Redskins' head coach Bill Austin
in 1970.
In February 1971, Doll was hired as defensive backfield coach for the Green Bay Packers
under head coach Dan Devine
. Doll remained with the Packers for three years from 1971 to 1973. He helped mold the Packers' backfield into what The New York Times
called "one of the National Football League's stingiest pass defenses." In 1972, the Packers had the best pass defense in the NFL. In 1973, the defense lost All-Pro cornerback Willie Buchanon
to a broken leg in the sixth game of the season, but still finished as the fifth best pass defense in the NFL. In January 1974, the Packers announced that Doll had resigned "because of personal problems," but it was later revealed that he was fired by Devine due to a personality conflict and disagreements over defensive strategy. On learning of Doll's departure, Willie Buchanon said, "It hurts to get news like this. Not only was he a very good coach, but he was someone who we could relate to and get along with. There aren't many people like that."
In February 1974, after undergoing hip surgery, Doll was hired by the Baltimore Colts
as defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He served in Baltimore under head coaches Howard Schnellenberger
(who was head coach for three games) and Joe Thomas. During the 1974 season, the Colts finished 2-12 and allowed 23.5 points per game (2nd worst in the NFL).
In February 1975, Doll resigned from his position with the Colts to accept a position as linebackers coach with Miami Dolphins
under head coach Don Shula
, who Doll had replaced in Detroit in 1963. Doll served as the Dolphins' linebackers coach during the 1975 and 1976 NFL seasons. The Dolphins finished finished 10-4 in 1975 and allowed 15.8 points per game (4th best in the NFL). In 1976, the Dolphins dropped to 6-8, allowing 18.8 points per game (ranking 15th out of 28 teams). In January 1977, the Dolphins announced that they were restructuring the defensive coaching staff and would not renew Doll's contract.
In February 1977, Doll was hired as a special assignments coach with the San Francisco 49ers
.
In February 1978, Doll returned to the Detroit Lions as special teams coach and film coordinator. In his second stint as an assistant coach for the Lions, Doll served 11 years from 1978 through 1988. In 1988, after 10 years in one city, Doll noted, "It's kind of nice, staying in one place for a while."
.
Doll died at his home in San Juan Capistrano in September 2010 at age 84. He was survived by his wife Diana Doll, five children, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
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...
player and coach.
Doll played college football for the USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
(1944, 1946–1948) and professional football in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
(1949–1953), Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(1954) and Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
(1955). He was selected to play in each of the first four Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s and was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1953 Pro Bowl. He played safety on the 1952 Detroit Lions team
1952 Detroit Lions season
Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 7 Scoring*DET - Layne 2-yard run *DET - Walker 67-yard run *CLE - Jagade 7-yard run *DET - FG Harder 36-References:***...
that won the NFL championship. He tied an NFL record in 1949 with four interceptions in a single game and is the only player in NFL history to have 10 or more interceptions in each of three different seasons (1949, 1950 and 1953). When he retired at the end of the 1954 season, he was the NFL's all-time leader with 41 interceptions.
After retiring as a player, Doll worked as a football coach for 34 years, serving as the head coach at West Contra Costa Junior College
Contra Costa College
Contra Costa College, in San Pablo, California, is the west campus of the Contra Costa Community College District. It is part of the California community colleges system, one of the three college systems in California.- History :...
in 1956 and as an assistant coach with the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(1955), USC (1957–1958), Notre Dame (1959–1962), Detroit Lions (1963–1964), Los Angeles Rams (1965), Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(1966–1970), Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(1971–1973), Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(1974), Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1975–1976), 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...
(1977) and Detroit Lions (1978–1988). During his NFL career, he was associated with the game's legendary coaches, as a player for Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
and an assistant coach under Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
and Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
.
Early years
Doll attended Grant Union High SchoolGrant Union High School (Sacramento, California)
Grant Union High School is a public high school in Sacramento, California, United States.-Notable alumni:*Don Doll, American football player*Gene Filipski, American football player*David Kilson, American football player*Leron Lee, American football player...
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, where he was an all-league quarterback. Doll was also named Cal-Hi Sports State Player of the Year for football in 1943. He is one of only four Sacramento-area players to earn the honor.
USC and military service
Doll played halfbackHalfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
(both offensive and defensive) for the USC Trojans from 1944 to 1948, though he did not play in 1945 while serving in the military. He led USC in rushing three times—in 1944, 1947 and 1948. He also led the team in receptions and scoring in 1948.
1944 season
In July 1944, he joined the Trojans as a 17-year old freshman halfback. He played the 1944 season under his birth name, Don Burnside. In the 1944 season opener against UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, Doll had an immediate impact. He played halfback on both offense and defense (the norm in 1944), intercepting a Bob Waterfield
Bob Waterfield
Robert "Bob" Stanton Waterfield was an American football player.Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference football championship...
pass and returning it 16 yards to the UCLA 22-yard line. On the next play, the Trojans again gave the ball to Doll who ran 20 yards to the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Doll scored on a 1-yard run to give USC a 13-0 lead at halftime.
After the season opener, USC coach Jeff Cravath
Jeff Cravath
Newell "Jeff" Cravath was an American football coach best known as the head coach of the USC Trojans football team from 1942-1950. He compiled a 54-28-8 record while coaching at USC, and is known to have introduced the T formation to the USC program. Jeff was a nickname given to him when he was...
announced that Doll was being switched to the quarterback position for the second game of the season. Despite the experiment, Doll played principally at halfback during the 1944 season. Prior to the final regular season game (a re-match against UCLA), Al Wolf of the Los Angeles Times called him "S.C.'s 18-year-old freshman whiz."
The 1944 Trojans finished the season undefeated with an 8-0-2 record and defeated Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
25-0 in the 1945 Rose Bowl
1945 Rose Bowl
The 1945 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1945, was a college football bowl game, the 31st Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the 25-0.-Game summary:...
. Doll played 43 minutes in the Rose Bowl and was the game's leading rusher. Los Angeles Times sports writer Braven Dyer wrote that Doll "shouldered the ball carrying burden almost single handedly" in the Rose Bowl.
U.S. Marine Corps
After playing in the Rose Bowl game, Doll was inducted into the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He served aboard the battleship USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
and was an eyewitness to the Japanese surrender ceremony on the ship's deck on September 2, 1945.
1946 season and name change
Doll was honorably discharged from the military in June 1946 and returned to USC in time for summer practice. In July 1946, Braven Dyer wrote that USC had found "a new backfield star." Dyer continued, "Fresh out of the Marines, the lad's name is Doll, Don Doll, that is." Doll had changed his surname from "Burnside" to "Doll" after being discharged from the military. Doll later explained the reasoning behind his decision:"My stepfather, Adna Doll, raised me and as soon as I was old enough (and, incidentally, had dough for the legal transfer) I changed my name to his because I was grateful for all Dad had done for me. I thought that if any honors came my way in football, I'd like to be known by his name."
However, Doll recalled that "sports writers had a field day" with his new name: "When I weaved downfield I was the 'Dancing Doll.' If I took too long on a play, I was the 'Mechanical Doll.'"
Doll played at the left halfback position for the 1946 Trojans. In the final game of the season, a 20-14 victory over Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
in New Orleans, Doll had a key interception and return for 34 yards.
1947 season
In 1947, Doll added punting and punt and kickoff return duties to his role as a starting halfback. In October 1947, he was leading the Pacific Coast ConferencePacific 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...
with an average of 45 yards per punt; he was also leading the Conference with an average of 20 yards on punt returns. One of the highlights of the 1947 season for USC was a 32-0 victory in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, over a highly touted Ohio State team
1947 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1947 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1947-1948. The Buckeyes compiled a 2–6–1 record, failing again to beat Michigan. They got outscored 60-150.-Schedule:...
. Doll started the Trojans' scoring against the Buckeyes with a 42-yard touchdown run around the left end in the first quarter. Doll's longest gain of the season was a 95-yard kickoff return in a 21-0 victory over Cal
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
.
At the end of the 1947 season, Doll was picked as a first-team back on the United Press All-Coast Conference team.
The 1947 Trojans won the Pacific Coast Conference championship and faced Michigan's famed "Mad Magicians" team
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
in the 1948 Rose Bowl
1948 Rose Bowl
The 1948 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948. It was the 34th Rose Bowl Game, and the second since the Big Nine Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference reached an exclusive agreement to match their champions in the game each year. In the game, the Michigan...
. USC lost the game 49-0, and Doll was one of the few USC players praised for his performance in the game. Sports writer Maxwell Stiles wrote, "Don Doll was a power in the secondary until he was forced out with what was reported to be a broken arm."
1948 season
In 1948, Doll played his final season at the left halfback position for USC. He scored the Trojan's only touchdown on a 28-yard run in a 7-0 victory over RiceRice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
. The following week, Doll again scored USC's only touchdown, this time in an 8-7 loss to Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
. He added two touchdowns in a 32-7 win over Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
.
At the end of the 1948 season, Doll was selected as a first-team halfback on the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-Pacific Coast Team. He was also selected as the halfback and punter for the West team in the 1948 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
.
Professional football player
Doll was drafted by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the 9th round (67th overall pick) of the 1948 NFL Draft
1948 NFL Draft
The 1948 National Football League Draft was held on December 19, 1947 at the Fort Pitt Hotel in Pittsburgh.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:...
and signed a one-year contract with the team in February 1949. He played as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the Lions for four years from 1949 to 1952. He was selected as an All-Pro player in his first three seasons in the NFL (1949–1951). He was also selected four times to play in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
(1950–1953).
At 5 feet, 11 inches, and 185 pounds, Doll was small for a professional football player. In a 1954 profile on Doll, a reporter noted, "Don, who's built like a bank clerk, piano tuner, soda jerk, errand boy or -- egad -- even a sports writer doesn't look any more like a pro gridder than your cousin Joe." Doll explained how he handled the disparity in size with the players he was required to tackle:
"I just throw a shoulder into 'em and hit 'em low. If they are over two tons I aim for their shoelaces. If they're medium sized (around boxcar weight) I hit for the thighs. I'll admit I do not drive 'em back but I stop 'em where they are. ... My size is no detriment in football. I rate as the No. 1 asset the 'desire' to tackle. And I've plenty of that desire."
1949 season
During his rookie season, Doll had 11 interceptions which he returned for 301 yards, including a 95-yard return for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on October 8, 1949. His 301 return yards off interceptions set an NFL record that stood until 1961. His total still ranks 5th all-time in NFL history. Doll still holds the record for most interception return yards by a rookie, and it is one of the oldest remaining records in the NFL.
Doll also led the NFL in 1949 with 536 kickoff return yards. He also tied an NFL record on October 23, 1949 with four interceptions in a 24-7 win over the Chicago Cardinals.
1950 season
In his second season in the NFL, Doll snagged 12 interceptions in 11 games, one interception short of the NFL record of 13 interceptions set by Dan SandiferDan Sandifer
Daniel Padgett Sandifer was an American football defensive back who played with six National Football League teams from 1948 to 1953...
in 1948.
At the end of the 1950 season, Doll was selected as a first-team All-Pro for the second straight year and was also selected to appear in his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
.
1951 and 1952 seasons
During the 1951 and 1952 seasons, Doll was selected to appear in his second and third Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s and received the George S. Halas Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 1953 Pro Bowl. Doll played safety on the 1952 Detroit Lions team
1952 Detroit Lions season
Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 7 Scoring*DET - Layne 2-yard run *DET - Walker 67-yard run *CLE - Jagade 7-yard run *DET - FG Harder 36-References:***...
that won the NFL championship. Though the 1952 Lions team is remembered mostly for the offensive output of Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
, the defense included Doll and Les Bingaman
Les Bingaman
Lester Alonza Bingaman was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. Bingaman played seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, starting in 1948. He earned trips to the Pro Bowl in 1951 and 1953...
and led the NFL in both scoring defense and rush defense.
In 2008, Doll was selected as a member of the Lions' 75th Season All-Time Team, recognizing him as "one of franchise's greatest players." He still holds Lions' team records for interceptions in a season (12) and interception return yards in a season (301).
1953 season
At the start of the 1953 NFL season, Doll was traded by the Lions to the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, where he played under head coach Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
. Doll totaled 10 interceptions for the 1953 season, making him the first player in NFL history to tally at least 10 interceptions in each of three seasons (11 in 1949, 12 in 1950 and 10 in 1953). Doll remains the only player in NFL history to accomplish this feat in three seasons. He was also selected for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
began with the 1950 NFL season
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
, and Doll is one of the few players to have played in each of the first four Pro Bowls.
1954 season
In January 1954, Doll was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in a three-team, multi-player deal that also sent Night Train Lane to the Chicago Cardinals. At the time of the trade, Doll, who lived at the time in San Gabriel, CaliforniaSan Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
, told the Los Angeles Times, "This is good news. I've wanted to play for the Rams since I got out of school." Doll concluded his playing career with the Rams and had five interceptions in 1954. When he retired at the end of the 1954 season, Doll was the NFL's all-time career leader with 41 interceptions.
Coaching career
Doll retired from playing football in 1955 and worked for the next 34 years as a football coach.In 1955, Doll was hired as an assistant coach at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
under head coach John Cherberg
John Cherberg
-External links:*...
. Doll was put in charge of defensive backs for the Huskies. During his one year at Washington, the Huskies had the 10th best passing defense in the country, allowing only 60 yards per game in passing yards.
In 1956, Doll accepted a head coaching position at West Contra Costa Junior College
Contra Costa College
Contra Costa College, in San Pablo, California, is the west campus of the Contra Costa Community College District. It is part of the California community colleges system, one of the three college systems in California.- History :...
.
In February 1957, Doll returned to USC as the Trojans' backfield coach under head coach Don Clark. At the time of his hiring, the Los Angeles Times called Doll "an all-time SC great" and "one of the top defensive backs in football history." Doll served as USC's backfield coach during the 1957 and 1958 seasons. He also served as an assistant on the College All-Star coaching staff in 1957 and 1958.
In February 1959, Doll was hired by Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
as its backfield coach under head coach Joe Kuharich
Joe Kuharich
Joseph Lawrence Kuharich was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of San Francisco from 1948 to 1951 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1959 to 1962, compiling a career college football record of 43–37...
. Prior to the 1959 game between USC and Notre Dame, Braven Dyer warned in the Los Angeles Times that the man who had "mapped SC's secondary defense" was "now in the camp of the enemy." Notre Dame defeated USC in 1959 by a score of 16-6. Doll was Notre Dame's backfield coach throughout Kuharich's tenure which ended after the 1962 season.
In January 1963, Doll was hired by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
as their defensive backfield coach. Doll, who was then 36 years old, replaced Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, who left the Lions coaching staff to become the head coach of the Baltimore Colts. Doll remained the Lions' defensive backfield coach through the 1963 and 1964 NFL seasons. At the end of the 1964 season, Doll was "swept out" of the Lions organization when team owner William Clay Ford
William Clay Ford
William Clay Ford may refer to:*William Clay Ford, Sr., grandson of Henry Ford, son of Edsel Ford and owner of the Detroit Lions*William Clay Ford, Jr., great-grandson of Henry Ford, son of William Clay Ford, Sr., chairman of Ford Motor Company...
"purged the coaching staff."
In January 1965, Doll was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive backfield coach under head coach Harland Svare. Doll remained with the Rams for only one season.
In 1966, Doll was hired as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
under head coach Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
. Doll remained with Redskins as the defensive backfield coach for five years and through three head coaches. In 1969, Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
was hired as the Redskins' head coach. Doll served as an assistant coach under Lombardi during the 1969 NFL season
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
, which was Lombardi's last as a coach. Doll also served under Redskins' head coach Bill Austin
Bill Austin
William Lee Austin is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League, having played for the New York Giants for seven seasons and served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1966 to 1968.Bill played for Oregon State University in college, earning All-Coast...
in 1970.
In February 1971, Doll was hired as defensive backfield coach for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
under head coach Dan Devine
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
. Doll remained with the Packers for three years from 1971 to 1973. He helped mold the Packers' backfield into what The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called "one of the National Football League's stingiest pass defenses." In 1972, the Packers had the best pass defense in the NFL. In 1973, the defense lost All-Pro cornerback Willie Buchanon
Willie Buchanon
Willie James Buchanon is a former cornerback for the National Football League's Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers; he was defensive rookie of the year in 1972 and a three-time Pro Bowl player...
to a broken leg in the sixth game of the season, but still finished as the fifth best pass defense in the NFL. In January 1974, the Packers announced that Doll had resigned "because of personal problems," but it was later revealed that he was fired by Devine due to a personality conflict and disagreements over defensive strategy. On learning of Doll's departure, Willie Buchanon said, "It hurts to get news like this. Not only was he a very good coach, but he was someone who we could relate to and get along with. There aren't many people like that."
In February 1974, after undergoing hip surgery, Doll was hired by the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
as defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He served in Baltimore under head coaches Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...
(who was head coach for three games) and Joe Thomas. During the 1974 season, the Colts finished 2-12 and allowed 23.5 points per game (2nd worst in the NFL).
In February 1975, Doll resigned from his position with the Colts to accept a position as linebackers coach with Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
under head coach Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, who Doll had replaced in Detroit in 1963. Doll served as the Dolphins' linebackers coach during the 1975 and 1976 NFL seasons. The Dolphins finished finished 10-4 in 1975 and allowed 15.8 points per game (4th best in the NFL). In 1976, the Dolphins dropped to 6-8, allowing 18.8 points per game (ranking 15th out of 28 teams). In January 1977, the Dolphins announced that they were restructuring the defensive coaching staff and would not renew Doll's contract.
In February 1977, Doll was hired as a special assignments coach 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 February 1978, Doll returned to the Detroit Lions as special teams coach and film coordinator. In his second stint as an assistant coach for the Lions, Doll served 11 years from 1978 through 1988. In 1988, after 10 years in one city, Doll noted, "It's kind of nice, staying in one place for a while."
Later years, family and death
Doll was married in the early 1950s to Diana Davies, a graduate of UCLA. After their wedding, she became Diana Davies Doll, and Doll joked with a reporter in 1954 that he called her his "Triple-D Dynamo." Doll and his wife had five children, Steven, Wendy, Kevan, Heidi and Michael. In his later years, Doll lived with his wife in San Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaSan Juan Capistrano, California
San Juan Capistrano is a city in southern Orange County, California, located approximately southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census,...
.
Doll died at his home in San Juan Capistrano in September 2010 at age 84. He was survived by his wife Diana Doll, five children, six grandchildren, and one great grandchild.