Three-sport athlete in high school? No big deal. Three-sport athlete in college? That's pretty special. Don Durdan (September 21, 1920 – June 28, 1971) remains one of Oregon State’s most versatile and inspiring athletes, having played football, basketball and baseball despite usually being the shortest player on his team.
Durdan grew up in Eureka, CA, and was a member of the Eureka High School “Wonder Team” that did not allow a point during the 1935 season. He arrived at Oregon State College in 1938 as a 5-foot-9, 175-pound halfback and played for the varsity in 1939-41, an era that included winning the Pineapple Bowl and Rose Bowl.
In the 1942 Rose Bowl, Durdan ran for 54 yards and a touchdown and played enough other roles such as punter to be named the game’s Most Valuable Player. That award was retroactive because it did not exist at the time of the game.
Durdan played for the OSC basketball team under coach Slat Gill from 1940-43 and was voted All-America in 1943. The 1941-42 team won the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division title despite missing Durdan for several weeks due to the Rose Bowl. He also played for the Beaver baseball team under Ralph Coleman in 1941 and ’42. Durdan served in the Navy during World War II.
In 1946, Durdan signed with the San Francisco 49ers of the All-American Football Conference and played as a halfback, punter and defensive back. He then returned to Oregon to play for the Portland Indians of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League. The Indians won the league's final championship in 1948.
Durdan was inducted into the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. He is also a member of the Tournament of Roses Hall of Fame.