Gus Dorais
Encyclopedia
Charles Emile "Gus" Dorais (July 2, 1891 – January 3, 1954) was an American football
player and coach of football, basketball
, and baseball
. He played college football
as a quarterback
at the University of Notre Dame
, where he was an All-American in 1913
, and then professionally with the Fort Wayne Friars
and Massillon Tigers
. Dorais served as the head football coach at Columbia College in Dubuque, Iowa
, now known as Loras College
(1914–1917), Gonzaga University
(1920–1924), and the University of Detroit, now known as the University of Detroit Mercy
(1925–1942), compiling a career college football coaching record of 150–70–12. He was also the head coach of the NFL
's Detroit Lions
from 1943 to 1947, tallying a mark of 20–31–2. In addition, he was the head basketball coach at Notre Dame, Detroit Mercy, and Gonzaga and the head baseball coach at Notre Dame and Gonzaga. Dorais was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1954.
from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
in the summer of 1910, started four seasons for the Fighting Irish
at quarterback
, but it was during his senior season that he became part of college football history. During the summer of 1913, Dorais and his Notre Dame teammate Knute Rockne
worked as lifeguards and busboys at Cedar Point
Resort in Sandusky, Ohio
. During their free time there, the story goes, the duo practiced passing on the beach with Dorais throwing to Rockne, an end.
"We mastered the technique of losing the football with hands relaxed and tried to master the more difficult feat of catching it with one hand," Rockne later wrote.
The Irish, 17–1–3 in Dorais' first three seasons as a starter, outscored their first three opponents in 1913 by a margin of 169–7. On November 1, 1913, the Irish, still known mainly in the Midwest at the time despite just one loss in three seasons, traveled to West Point, New York
with a roster size of only eighteen players to face heavily-favored Army
. Although Dorais and Rockne are often credited with inventing the forward pass
that day against the Cadets, the maneuver had been legal since 1906, and had been used by several lower-profile programs. In 1952, Dorais himself tried to set the record straight, telling the United Press that "Eddie Cochems
of the St. Louis University team of 1906-07-08 deserves the full credit."
Dorais first completed a pass to Rockne two seasons before. But against Army in 1913, Dorais, an Irish co-captain and the first Irish player named a consensus All-American
, completed 14 of 17 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. At the time, his 40-yard pass to Rockne was the longest pass ever completed, and after taking a 14–13 halftime lead, Notre Dame pulled away from a confused Army team for a 35–13 victory that changed the landscape of college football and lifted the Irish out of obscurity.
From that point forward, no longer was the forward pass an obscure weapon, or a little-used gimmick to be used when trailing late in games. "The press and the football public hailed this new game, and Notre Dame received credit as the originator of a style of play that we simply systematized," Rockne said.
In addition to playing quarterback, Dorais was also the team's placekicker
.
from 1914 to 1917, assistant at Notre Dame 1919, head coach at Gonzaga University
from 1920 to 1924, and head coach at the University of Detroit Mercy
from 1925 to 1942. His record at Detroit was 113–48–7.
nick also helped coach and was the defensive coordinator. In high school was an all state linebacker
Dorais was the college team coach for the 1937 College All-Star Game, in which college seniors played against the NFL championship team. With Sammy Baugh
at quarterback, this was the first All-Star team to beat the pros. From 1943 to 1947, Dorais coached the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
. He retired after his tenure with the Lions but came out of retirement for one season in 1952 to serve as the backfield coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
under head coach Joe Bach
.
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 of football, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. 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...
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where he was an All-American in 1913
1913 College Football All-America Team
The 1913 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1913...
, and then professionally with the Fort Wayne Friars
Fort Wayne Friars
The Fort Wayne Friars were an early professional football team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team, which was also known as the Friars Athletic Association, consistently fielded good and noteworthy teams...
and Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
. Dorais served as the head football coach at Columbia College in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, now known as Loras College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
(1914–1917), Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
(1920–1924), and the University of Detroit, now known as the University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
(1925–1942), compiling a career college football coaching record of 150–70–12. He was also the head coach of the NFL
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...
's 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...
from 1943 to 1947, tallying a mark of 20–31–2. In addition, he was the head basketball coach at Notre Dame, Detroit Mercy, and Gonzaga and the head baseball coach at Notre Dame and Gonzaga. Dorais was inducted into 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...
as a coach in 1954.
Playing career
Dorais, who arrived at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
in the summer of 1910, started four seasons for the Fighting Irish
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...
at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, but it was during his senior season that he became part of college football history. During the summer of 1913, Dorais and his Notre Dame teammate Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
worked as lifeguards and busboys at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
Resort in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. During their free time there, the story goes, the duo practiced passing on the beach with Dorais throwing to Rockne, an end.
"We mastered the technique of losing the football with hands relaxed and tried to master the more difficult feat of catching it with one hand," Rockne later wrote.
The Irish, 17–1–3 in Dorais' first three seasons as a starter, outscored their first three opponents in 1913 by a margin of 169–7. On November 1, 1913, the Irish, still known mainly in the Midwest at the time despite just one loss in three seasons, traveled to West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
with a roster size of only eighteen players to face heavily-favored Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
. Although Dorais and Rockne are often credited with inventing the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
that day against the Cadets, the maneuver had been legal since 1906, and had been used by several lower-profile programs. In 1952, Dorais himself tried to set the record straight, telling the United Press that "Eddie Cochems
Eddie Cochems
Edward Bulwer "Eddie" Cochems was an American football player and coach. He played football for the University of Wisconsin from 1898 to 1901 and was the head football coach at North Dakota State , Clemson , Saint Louis University , and Maine . During his three years at St...
of the St. Louis University team of 1906-07-08 deserves the full credit."
Dorais first completed a pass to Rockne two seasons before. But against Army in 1913, Dorais, an Irish co-captain and the first Irish player named a consensus All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, completed 14 of 17 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. At the time, his 40-yard pass to Rockne was the longest pass ever completed, and after taking a 14–13 halftime lead, Notre Dame pulled away from a confused Army team for a 35–13 victory that changed the landscape of college football and lifted the Irish out of obscurity.
From that point forward, no longer was the forward pass an obscure weapon, or a little-used gimmick to be used when trailing late in games. "The press and the football public hailed this new game, and Notre Dame received credit as the originator of a style of play that we simply systematized," Rockne said.
In addition to playing quarterback, Dorais was also the team's placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
.
Coaching career
Dorais and Rockne were roommates at Notre Dame, and in their coaching days, Dorais served as an assistant under Rockne. Dorais served as head coach at Columbia CollegeLoras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
from 1914 to 1917, assistant at Notre Dame 1919, head coach at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
from 1920 to 1924, and head coach at the University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
from 1925 to 1942. His record at Detroit was 113–48–7.
nick also helped coach and was the defensive coordinator. In high school was an all state linebacker
Dorais was the college team coach for the 1937 College All-Star Game, in which college seniors played against the NFL championship team. With Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
at quarterback, this was the first All-Star team to beat the pros. From 1943 to 1947, Dorais coached 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...
of 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...
. He retired after his tenure with the Lions but came out of retirement for one season in 1952 to serve as the backfield coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh 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...
under head coach Joe Bach
Joe Bach
Joseph Anthony Bach was one of Notre Dame's famed "seven mules" and later the head coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates and later the renamed Pittsburgh Steelers ....
.
External links
- Gus Dorais at Pro-Football-Reference.com
- Gus Dorais at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com