Hollie Donan
Encyclopedia
'Holland "Hollie" Donan (born June 24, 1928) was an American football
defensive tackle. He played college football
for Princeton University
. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1984.
Holland Donan was called the best tackle he ever coached by Princeton coach Charlie Caldwell. According to Caldwell, Donan's size, tremendous speed and uncanny ability to foresee enemy moves were what made him stand out among the nation's football stars. Head line coach Dick Colman praised him for giving his teammates pep talks and boosting morale. In 1950, Donan led the Tigers to the Lambert Trophy and their first perfect record in 15 seasons. The 6-5, 230- pound bruiser helped arouse his team to a second half come- from-behind win that wiped out a 14-7 Navy lead. Princeton won 20-14, and that led the Tigers to the fore-front of Eastern football for the 1950 campaign. Donan missed only two minutes on defense that season, and was named Lineman-of- the-Year as well as New Jersey's outstanding athlete. Donan graduated from Princeton in the spring of 1951 with a degree in history, married the same year and entered the U.S. Army where he served in the Transportation Corps.
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...
defensive tackle. He played college 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...
for Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1984.
Holland Donan was called the best tackle he ever coached by Princeton coach Charlie Caldwell. According to Caldwell, Donan's size, tremendous speed and uncanny ability to foresee enemy moves were what made him stand out among the nation's football stars. Head line coach Dick Colman praised him for giving his teammates pep talks and boosting morale. In 1950, Donan led the Tigers to the Lambert Trophy and their first perfect record in 15 seasons. The 6-5, 230- pound bruiser helped arouse his team to a second half come- from-behind win that wiped out a 14-7 Navy lead. Princeton won 20-14, and that led the Tigers to the fore-front of Eastern football for the 1950 campaign. Donan missed only two minutes on defense that season, and was named Lineman-of- the-Year as well as New Jersey's outstanding athlete. Donan graduated from Princeton in the spring of 1951 with a degree in history, married the same year and entered the U.S. Army where he served in the Transportation Corps.