DUQUESNE FOOTBALL HISTORY uniform jerseys for home and away contests. In 1929, graduate manager John Holohan con- ceived the idea of the city’s first night game at DUQUESNE AND THE NFL Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. On the evening of November 2 of that year, the Dukes made histo- Duquesne University has had a total of 22 players drafted by the National Football League. Of ry by defeating Geneva College, 27-7, in front of the 22 draftees, eight never played in an NFL game. Mike Basrak, the fifth overall pick in the more than 27,000 spectators. 1937 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the first DU player drafted. The last time a Duquesne After playing football for four years following player was drafted was in the 19th round of the 1951 draft when Ralph Longmore was taken by World War II, Duquesne did not return to the the New York Yanks. In 2003, Duquesne saw two former players make NFL rosters when free gridiron until 1969 after a group of students agents Leigh Bodden and Josh Rue earned spots on the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals formed a team at the club level. DU struggled to respectively. a 2-4-0 mark in ’69 before Dan McCann took Forty-five Dukes have played in the NFL, with a total of 35 suiting up for the Pittsburgh over and quickly made the Dukes a force to be Steelers between 1937 and 1951. Last year Bodden — who played in 13 games for the Browns reckoned with. McCann’s 1972 Dukes finished (with one start) — became the first Duquesne player to take the field for an NFL game since Al the season 7-1-0 and ranked No. 3 nationally by Demao played for the Washington Redskins from 1945-53. Demao was named one of the 70 the National Club Football Association. The greatest Redskins of all-time in the fall of 2002. next season, Duquesne improved by defeating Mattatuck CC in the National Club Football DU AND THE DRAFT FAST FACTS Championship game at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium. The title game victory capped a 10-0-0 First player drafted: Mike Basrak, 1937 1st round (5th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers. season for DU. McCann added three more top Most recent draftee: Ralph Longmore, 1951 19th round (227th overall) by the New York Yanks. 10 national finishes before the Dukes elevated to Most Dukes drafted in one year: Six in 1943. the Division III level prior to the 1979 season. First round picks (2): Mike Basrak (1937, 5th overall by Pittsburgh) and Boyd Brumbaugh Following a leave of absence from 1984-87, (1938, 3rd overall by Brooklyn). McCann returned and finished his 19-year Longest stretch without a pick: 52 years (1951 to current). career with a 91-74-3 record. McCann is noted Draft picks by team (22 total): Pittsburgh (13), Brooklyn (2), Cleveland (2), New York Yanks as having the third-longest tenure of any coach (2), Washington (2), Chicago (1). in Duquesne athletics history behind former rifle coach Dave Cramer (30 years) and Charles DU AND THE NFL FAST FACTS “Chick” Davies’ 21 years as a head coach of the men’s basketball team. Number of Dukes who have played in Current head coach Greg Gattuso, a former the NFL: 45 total standout defensive lineman under Joe Paterno at First players to play: Nick DeCarbo Penn State in the early 1980s, took over the pro- and Ray Kemp played for Pittsburgh in gram in 1993. The ’93 season also marked the 1933. DeCarbo played in 11 games, return of football to the Duquesne campus, as Kemp in five. Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field was dedicated Last to see action in an NFL game: on October 30 of that year. Leigh Bodden (13 games for the Gattuso, now entering his 12th season, didn’t Cleveland Browns) in 2003. (Josh Rue take long to leave his mark on the Duquesne was on the Arizona Cardinals’ active program with conference titles in 1995 and roster for the last two games of 2003 1996. His ’96 squad scored more points (392) but did not play.) than any other team in school history and also Organizations Dukes have played for became the first varsity team to post an unde- (last player in parentheses): Arizona feated regular season since 1941. In addition, (Josh Rue in 2003), Boston (Steve Sinko Gattuso’s 1995 and 1996 Dukes reeled off a in 1936), Brooklyn (Joe Setcavage in school-record 19 consecutive wins. Under 1943), Buffalo (George Kisiday in Gattuso, Duquesne has continued to thrive, 1948), Chicago (John Rokisky in 1947), adding five consecutive titles between 1999 and Cleveland (Leigh Bodden in 2003), 2003, culminating with a mid-major National Detroit (George Sirochman in 1944), Championship in 2003. Miami (Al Wukits in 1946), New York From its days as a Division I powerhouse, to Yanks (John Rokisky in 1948), Phil- numerous top 10 rankings as a club team in the adelphia (John Binotto in 1942), Pitts- Leigh Bodden became the first Duquesne player to see 1970s to its emergence as a I-AA mid-major burgh (Chuck Mehelich in 1951), Wash- action in a NFL game in more than 50 years when he force, Duquesne football has always been syn- ington (Al Demao in 1953). played in 13 games for the Cleveland Browns last season. onymous with one thing — winning. FOOTBALL 2004 37 ALL-TIME RESULTS YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDS 1999 8 3 0 Greg Gattuso YEAR W L T Coach 2000 10 1 0 Greg Gattuso DUQUESNE FACTS 1902 1 6 0 Captain Hickson 2001 8 3 0 Greg Gattuso 1903 3 5 0 T.A. Giblin 2002 11 1 0 Greg Gattuso 1913 3 5 1 Dr. Budd 2003 8 3 0 Greg Gattuso 1914 1 5 0 Dr. Budd • Ahwesh was called to active duty for the Korean War one BREAKDOWN BY NCAA AFFILIATION 1920 3 3 1 E.A. Jake Stahl week before the start of the season. Doc Skender served as Football on the Duquesne campus began in the fall of 1921 0 4 1 E.A. Jake Stahl acting coach in 1950. 1891, with detailed results not recorded until 1902. 1922 0 8 0 Hal Ballin DU has played at the Division I level (1902-50), as a 1923 4 4 0 Hal Ballin RECORD BY OPPONENT club team (1969-78) and at the NCAA Division III 1924 2 4 2 Mike Shortley OPPONENT W L T First Last level (1979-92). Duquesne has competed at the 1925 0 7 0 Frank McDermott Alabama 0 3 0 1947 1949 NCAA I-AA non-scholarship level since 1993. 1926 2 5 1 Frank McDermott Albany 0 1 0 2002 2002 1927 4 4 1 Elmer Layden Albion 1 0 0 1929 1929 NCAA Division I ..............1902-03; 1913-1914; 1928 8 1 0 Elmer Layden Allegheny 0 2 0 1990 1991 1920-42; 1947-50 1929 9 0 1 Elmer Layden Allegheny A.A. 1 2 0 1902 1914 Record ..............................................137-120-15 1930 7 3 0 Elmer Layden Allegheny C.C. 3 0 0 1972 1974 Seasons ............................................................31 1931 3 5 3 Elmer Layden Alliance 1 0 0 1948 1948 1932 7 2 1 Elmer Layden American 3 0 0 1973 1976 Jan. 1, 1934 Festival of Palms Bowl: 1933 10 1 0 Elmer Layden Ashland 1 2 0 1926 1934 33-0 win over Miami (Fla.) 1934 8 2 0 Joe Bach Assumption 1 0 0 1979 1979 1935 6 3 0 Christy Flanagan Bethany 8 4 3 1913 1993 Jan. 1, 1937 Orange Bowl: 1936 8 2 0 Clipper Smith Boston U. 0 1 0 1950 1950 13-12 win over Mississippi St. 1937 6 4 0 Clipper Smith Broaddus 2 0 1 1923 1927 1938 4 6 0 Clipper Smith Bucknell 3 5 0 1933 2003 Club Team..............................................1969-78 1939 8 0 1 Buff Donelli Buffalo 0 1 0 1991 1991 Record ....................................................55-25-1 1940 7 1 0 Buff Donelli Butler 2 0 0 2001 2003 Seasons ............................................................10 1941 8 0 0 Buff Donelli California (Pa.) 1 1 0 1902 1903 1973 National Club Champions 1942 6 3 1 Buff Donelli Canisius 13 3 0 1921 2002 1947 2 8 0 Kass Kovalcheck Carnegie-Mellon 6 13 1 1931 1991 NCAA Division III ................................1979-92 1948 2 7 0 Kass Kovalcheck Catholic 15 6 2 1929 1992 Record ....................................................51-74-3 1949 3 6 0 Phil Ahwesh Central Conn. St. 0 1 0 1993 1993 Seasons ............................................................14 1950 2 6 1 •Phil Ahwesh/ Chattanooga 0 2 0 1949 1950 Doc Skender Clemson 0 4 0 1947 1950 NCAA Division I-AA ............................1993-03 1969 2 4 0 Joe Nicoletti Cleveland St. 1 0 0 1972 1972 Record ....................................................90-29-0 1970 4 3 1 Dan McCann Crafton 1 0 0 1903 1903 Seasons ............................................................11 1971 4 4 0 Dan McCann Davis & Elkins 0 1 1 1924 1925 2003 I-AA Mid-Major National Champions 1972 7 1 0 Dan McCann Dayton 2 3 0 1920 2002 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 1973 10 0 0 Dan McCann Denison 0 1 0 1922 1922 MAAC Champions 1974 5 2 0 Dan McCann Detroit 6 5 1 1920 1950 1975 5 4 0 Dan McCann E. End Lyceum 0 1 0 1903 1903 FROM JOSEPH F. RISHEL’S 1976 6 2 0 Dan McCann Edinboro 1 0 0 1926 1929 “THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES LIFE” (1997) 1977 7 2 0 Dan McCann Fairfield 6 2 0 1979 2002 “In 1891, football, which at the time was called 1978 5 3 0 Dan McCann Federal City 1 1 0 1969 1977 ‘American rugby,’ was among the first team sports 1979 5 4 0 Dan McCann Ferrum 0 1 0 1985 1985 organized.