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Where it all began. Gus Dorais began playing football at an early age on the sandlots of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He was a leader from the beginning. He is seated in the front row, middle, holding the football in this undated photo.
1905 - Notre Dame School
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Class picture of Notre Dame School in Chippewa Falls. Charles Dorais is in the last row, second from right. Picture is from 1904 or 1905.
1907 - Notre Dame HS Football Team
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As a sophomore, Dorais (center, kneeling) was captain of the 1907 Notre Dame High School football team in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Gus attended Notre Dame H.S. in Chippewa Falls through his junior year. He was already throwing the forward pass and excelling at all aspects of the game.
1908 - Notre Dame High School
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By the time Dorais (back row, fourth from left) entered Notre Dame High School in 1906, he was already a standout. By his sophomore year, he was the quarterback and team captain.
1909 Chippewa Falls Baseball
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Baseball is upon us. Pitchers and catchers reported today and spring training is right around the corner. With Dorais' throwing abilities, it's not surprising that he played baseball. In fact, he probably played more baseball as a youth than football. Chippewa Falls was baseball crazy and he was in the lineup for several teams in the area. When he wasn’t pitching, Dorais was a strong-armed shortstop. Here he is (back row, far right) as a member of the Chippewa Falls Moonshiners.
1909 - Chippewa Falls Football
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Dorais (far right, without headgear) and his teammates set the tone for the 1909 season in their opener, a 71-0 win over Stanley High School at the Stanley Fairgrounds.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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November, 1909, Chippewa Falls High School Team - Wisconsin Interscholastic Champions. Dorais is in the middle row - third from left.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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Dorais (middle row, fourth from right) helped the Chippewa Falls High School to the 1909 Wisconsin Interscholastic Football Championship, earning all-state honors at quarterback. A.G. Findlay and Coots Cunningham (back row, second from right and far right respectively) were his coaches.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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Wisconsin State High School Championship game at Milwaukee between Chippewa Falls and Marinette on Nov. 27, 1909. Dorais(standing in the backfield) is about to receive the snap as the Cardinals drive down the field.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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Wisconsin State High School Championship game at Milwaukee between Chippewa Falls and Marinette on Nov. 27, 1909. Dorais(standing in the backfield) is about to receive the snap as the Cardinals drive down the field.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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The Wisconsin State High School Champions Team - Chippewa Falls - posing for a picture. Dorais is laying down in the front row - fourth from left.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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The Wisconsin State High School Champions Team - Chippewa Falls - posing for a picture. Dorais is laying down in the front row - fourth from left.
1909 - Chippewa Falls State Champions
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The Wisconsin State High School Champions Team - Chippewa Falls - practicing in preparation for the game against Marinette in Milwaukee. Dorais is at the far right.
1910 - Baseball Player
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Dorais (front row, second from left) in 1910 on the Chippewa Falls High School baseball team in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. When he wasn’t the starting pitcher he played as a strong arm shortstop.
Dorais attended Chippewa Falls High School in Wisconsin his senior year where he led the football team to a state championship. Here he is in his letter sweater.
1910 - Dorais Freshman
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A picture Gus sent home from his freshman year at Notre Dame. There wasn't a jersey that fit him so he had to send home for his high school letter sweater from Chippewa Falls which he is wearing inside-out in the photo.
1910 - UND Varisity Football Team
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Dorais made the varsity football team at the University of Notre Dame his freshman year. Although he wasn't a starter in the beginning of the season, it wasn't long before his talents were noticed and he became the starter and remained so for his four years at the school. Dorais is in the first row - third from right. Rockne is far left second row.
1911 UND Sorin Hall Track
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Dorais (front row, center) ran track for hall teams for his first three years at Notre Dame. He joined the varsity track team in his senior year. This picture is from Dorais' freshman year when he lived in Sorin Hall. Rockne (back row, far left) was the coach of the hall team.
1910-11 - Architectural Club
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Dorais studied architecture his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame. The class studied the famous illustrator Gustave Dore, the last name pronounced the same as Dorais(Door-A). His classmates soon started calling Dorais 'Gus' and the nickname stuck for life.
Dorais was assigned to Sorin Hall his freshman year. By chance he was assigned to a basement(subway) room with another freshman by the name of Knute Rockne. Dorais is seated in the lower right corner.
1911 - Sorin Hall Track
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Sorin Hall track team in the spring of 1911. The team was coached by Knute Rockne on the far left. Dorais is in the front row fourth from the right.
1910-11 Monogram Club
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Notre Dame Monogram Club for the 1910-11 football team. Dorais (front row, second from left) was selected as a freshman.
ca1911 -This is a picture Dorais sent home to his sister. He had his teammate, roommate and friend Knute Rockne sign the picture.
1911 - Dorais Football
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This is a picture Dorais sent home during his sophomore year in 1911. Looks like he's on a practice field. Unknown who he's shaking hands with.
1911 - UND Varsity Football Team
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The University if Notre Dame 1911 Varsity football team. Dorais is sitting in the front row, first on right. Knute Rockne is sitting just above him.
1911 - UND Varsity Football Team
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The University if Notre Dame 1911 Varsity football team posing for a picture on the practice field. Dorais is sitting in the front row, second from left. Knute Rockne is in the white sweater, last row, fourth from left.
Dorais (last row, third from left) was awarded a monogram in football all four years at the University of Notre Dame. Here are the monogram winners from the 1911-12 school year.
ca1912 - Corby Hall Baseball
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Dorais participated in several Hall sports, among them track, crew and baseball. Here he is in his baseball gear, third from left, sitting in front of Corby Hall, ca1912.
Students from University of Notre Dame and St Mary's College spent summers working at the resort Cedar Point in Ohio. This is a picture that 'Brother Chas' sent home to his sister Flora. Gus is in the front row, second from left.
VIDEOS
1927 - University of Detroit football team beats South Dakota State in the final game of the season - 38-0.
1927 - University of Detroit football team training for the upcoming season at Camp Ozanam in Lexington, Michigan - north of Port Huron.
1928 - Gus Dorais puts his University of Detroit football team through drills in preperation for the upcoming 1928 season. The Titans would go on to have an undefeated season at 9-0. Parke Davis eventualy named the 1928 National Champions as a tie between Detroit and Georgia Tech.
1928 - University of Detroit beats Loyola at Dinan Field, 27 to 0. Captain Tom Connell makes the first touchdown for U of D. Malony breaks thru for a 60 yard run. Connell passes to Brazil for a 20 yard gain.
1928 - University of Detroit undefeated football team are guests of Delta Sigma Pi at annual football banquet.
1936 - Gus Dorais Interview regarding the development of the Forward Pass. Howard Jones - USC Head Coach - interviews Gus. Courtesy of University of Notre Dame Archives.
The 2013 college football season marks the 100th anniversary of Notre Dame's victory over Army - when Gus Dorais and Knute Rockne utilized the forward pass to upset the Cadets and establish Notre Dame as a national football power. The work that Dorais and Rockne did was commemorated by the University and Cedar Point in the summer of 2013. Dorais and Rockne's great grandsons reenact the scene on the beach.
2013 - Fighting Irish Digital Media investigates Dorais and Rockne and the storied 1913 season, the forward pass, Sorin Hall, ND Archives, Cedar Point and more.
"2018 Finalist Award from American Book Fest"
"... It is a story researched and told lovingly, one that helps provide immense context and understanding not just of Dorais' life and competitive fire but of Notre Dame's rise as a power and the foundation of American football itself. The game today, of course, is the forward pass. With his then-unique throwing style, Gus Dorais was the pioneer who pointed the way and thus defined the pass. His story is the game's story. With a timing that meant everything."
- Roland Lazenby - Most prolific sports author of our time - Latest book, Michael Jordan: The Life 2018
"This book tells the unknown story of one of football's early pioneers - Gus Dorais. From his humble beginnings, to his influence on the sport as a player, scout and coach, this well-researched and well written account of Dorais' life will fascinate readers. The combination of Joe Niese and Bob Dorais have told the story of a football lifer that is long overdue."
- Chris Willis, Head of Research Library, NFL Films
"As teammates at Notre Dame, Gus Dorais and Knute Rockne changed how the game of football was played. Great friends and coaching colleagues, they shared a passion for the game and what it could achieve as a means of molding young lives. They influenced so many under their tutelage, helping cement the best elements of football as a staple in American life and culture. It's an enduring legacy that has positive effects still felt today. Joe Niese and Bob Dorais have done a remarkable job of capturing the life and importance of Rock's cherished pal."
- Jim Lefebvre, Notre Dame football scholar & award-winning author: "Coach For A Nation: The Life and Times of Knute Rockne"
"Gus Dorais is an excellent biography about one of the legendary coaches of college football history who is unfortunately forgotten today for that aspect of his career. This important book belongs in every football historian's personal library."
- Ray Schmidt, Football Historian/President College Football Historical Society
"The book leaves no doubt that Dorais was an innovative coach in designing plays and offensive formations...The authors have done a splendid job of describing an era in football when it was undergoing significant change and following the life of a player and later a coach who was responsible for many of those changes."
- Michigan in Books
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