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GALLERY
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Gus Dorais head-shot from 1939 University of Detroit Tower yearbook.
Picture of Gus Dorais ca1939.
1939 - Rockne Memorial
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After Knute Rockne died in a plane crash on March 31, 1931, Dorais became the primary spokesman for the legacy of his late friend. Dorais is pictured as the principal speaker at the dedication of the Rockne Memorial Fieldhouse on Notre Dame’s campus in June, 1939.
1939 - Rockne Memorial
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Friends and teammates attended the Rockne Memorial dedication ceremonies. L-R, first row: Mal Elward, William Kelleher, the Rev. Hugh O'Donnell, C. S. Gus Dorais and Luke Kelly. Second row, L-R: William Cook, Fred Gushurst, Ray Eichenlaub, Alvin Berger and Frank Hering.
1939 - Detroit Common Council
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Newspaper advertisement to elect Gus Dorais to Detroit Common Council.
1939 - University of Detroit Coach Gus Dorais(right) goes over game notes with his coaches Lloyd Brazil(left) and Bud Boeringer(middle).
Dorais(right) is being sworn in as a councilman on Detroit Common Council. This would be his first of four terms serving Detroit before resigning in 1947. He finished second in the voting in 1939 and remained a popular councilman throughout his four terms.
A candid shot of Coach Dorais on the sidelines during a game as he smokes a cigar and contemplates the action.
ca1940 - Dorais spent a lot of time on trains throughout his life, especially during football seasons. It was his preferred mode of travel.
In 1940 the movie: Knute Rockne All American starring Pat O'Brien (Left) was released. There were a couple of scenes that involved Dorais as played by actor Owen Davis Jr.(Right). Gus met Davis years later and jokingly commented that Davis was taller and better looking than him.
1940 - Common Council
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Dorais' letterhead from his office on Detroit Common Council. The event that he replied to in the letter would end with Gus taking a nasty fall on the ice outside the theater and suffering a concussion.
Sketch of Gus Dorais in 1940 by Sinclair.
Publicity photo of Gus Dorais published by the University of Detroit.
Coach Dorais posing for a picture on the practice field at University of Detroit.
1940 - Coach Dorais Office
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A newspaper photo of Gus Dorais at his University of Detroit office.
A rare family photo. Gus and his mother Malvina, along with his three sons, Tom, Bill and David, ca1940. Although they were seldom together, Gus provided support for his mother his entire life.
1940 - Gus Dorais Forward Pass
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Newspaper wire photo of Gus Dorais demonstrating the forward pass.
Caricature of Gus Dorais from the Detroit Free Press. By F.S. Nixon
'Skull sessions' were an integral part of Dorais' coaching methodology. Here he is in 1942 running through a game situation in front of the team with his star player, Elmer 'Tippy' Madarik.
Gus and Vi Dorais attend the World Series in Detroit in 1940.
1940 - Knute Rockne All-American
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Michigan Theater newspaper advertisement for the movie Knute Rockne All-American starring Pat O'Brien as Knute Rockne and Owen Davis, Jr. as Gus Dorais.
1941 - Councilman Dorais
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Press photo of Dorais(far right) with fellow City Councilman Harry Dingeman (center) being shown the conditions at Howard Street Mission in Detroit. A shelter and center to help the poor.
Candid picture of Gus Dorais enjoying a lighter moment during Titan spring practice in 1941.
University of Detroit head football coach Gus Dorais posing for a picture at Dinan Field.
Gus Dorais at his prime as head coach and assembled with his assistants Lloyd Brazil, backfield coach; Bud Boeringer, line coach, and Trainer Dad Butler.
Coach Dorais of the University of Detroit poses on the practice field next to Dinan Field before the season opener in 1941.
Coach Dorais of the University of Detroit poses on the practice field next to Dinan Field before the season opener in 1941.
University of Detroit head coach Gus Dorais.
1942 - Gus Dorais Golfing
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Gus playing golf with some friends in the Detroit area. He was a near scratch golfer.
Coach Gus Dorais mentors one of his UofD players.
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
