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GALLERY
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1942 - Detroit Common Council
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Detroit Common Council members. Third term member Charles Dorais is second from left.
1942 - “The Old Man’s Draftâ€
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After the United States entered World War II, a new Selective Service Act required that all men between the ages of 18 and 64 register for the draft. Known as “The Old Man’s Draftâ€. Dorais had to register.
1942 - John Lodge Birthday
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Members of the Detroit Common Council congratulate John C. Lodge(second from left) on his 80th birthday. Gus Dorais is third from right.
Coach Dorais imparting football knowledge to some of his Titan problems.
A rare family photo with all the children of Gus and Vi Dorais from the September 2, 1944 wedding of Tom & Mary Kay Dorais. Front row(L-R) David, Gus, Vi. Second Row(L-R) Bill, Mary Kay (Dilworth), Tom, Joan, Dorothy.
1942 - Gus & Vi Dorais
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Gus & Vi Dorais attending the wedding of their son Tom Dorais to Mary Kay DIlworth.
1942 - Detroit City Council
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Detroit City Council members being sworn in following their election. Gus Dorais, third from right, was re-elected to a second term on the council.
1942 - UofD Team Record
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A composite photo of University of Detroit Coach Gus Dorais. At the bottom is his year-by-year record as head coach.
Coach Gus Dorais at the end of his 18 year career as Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at the University of Detroit.
1943 - Dorais & Brazil Farewell
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Gus Dorais leaving the University of Detroit for the last time. His star player and long time assistant Llyod Brazil shakes his hand.
1943 - Dorais Contract Signing
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After a few years of pursuit, Detroit Lions’ owner, Fred Mandel finally got his man. Here Dorais is signing his contract with the Lions.
Joe Bach(L) signs contract as Detroit Lions Assistant Coach with Detroit Lions owner Fred Mandell(R) with Head Coach Gus Dorais overlooking ceremony.
1943 Detroit Lions team photo. Dorais is at the far right. The 1943 Lions finished 3-6-1 improving from the previous 0-11 season.
1943 - Gus & David Dorais
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Dorais with his youngest son David at the Lions training camp. In July, 1947, David drowned while swimming. The tragedy would cast a pall on Gus Dorais for the rest of his life.
Joe Bach and Gus Dorais, new coaches of the Detroit Lions, look out over the practice field.
1943 - Sinkwich & Dorais
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Lions star player and Heisman Trophy winner Frankie Sinkwich with Gus Dorais on the practice field at the West Shore Golf and Country Club September 16, 1943.
1944 Detroit Lions team photo. Dorais is in the middle row at the far left. The 1944 Lions finished 6-3-1 finishing 2nd in the Western Division.
1944 - Rose Bowl Preview
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Gus Dorais(right) and Jeff Gravath(left), Head Coach of USC, discuss a play on the chalkboard prior to the 1944 Rose Bowl Game.
Gus Dorais was a guest of the 1944 Rose Bowl. Here he is meeting with WWII service members prior to the game.
1944 - Marshall & Dorais
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George Preston Marshall, president of the Washington Redskins, eastern division champions Of the National Football league, and Gus Dorais, coach Of the Detroit Lions and former Notre Dame star, review last season's play and discuss the outlook for 1944.
1944 - Detroit Lions Training Camp
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In 1944 The Lions held the their training camp at West Shore Golf Club on Grosse Ile, an island on the Detroit River. Next to the golf club was a Naval Air Station. Several Navy officers were guests of the Lions. Coach Gus Dorais is on the far left. On the far right is Lions owner Fred Mandell, and next to him is Assistant Coach Joe Bach.
1944 - Gus & Joe Bach
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Gus Dorais with Joe Bach at a Detroit Lions practice in September 1944. Joe Bach was Gus' assistant coach all 5 years that Dorais coached the Lions.
A graphic about Lions coach Gus Dorais that appeared in the Detroit Free Press.
1945 Detroit Lions team photo. Dorais is standing at the far left. The 1945 Lions were Dorais' best team under his leadership, finishing 7-3-0, 2nd in the Western Division.
1945 - An end of season banquet for the Detroit Lions football club. Coach Dorais, seated second from right with owner Fred Mandel to his right and other players and staff pose for a picture.
1945 - Brothers Florida
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ca1945 - Gus Dorais(right) and his brother George Dorais(left) together in Florida visiting their mother Malvina.
One of Gus' favorite players at UofD, Andy Farkas, reunited with Dorais in the pros with the Detroit Lions.
1945 - Detroit Lions Gus & Tom Dorais
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The Lions drafted Tom Dorais with the 330 pick in the 32nd and last round. He didn’t make the team, but went onto to serve as a scout and advisor to his father. Here, the two are discussing a football matter.
1945 - Gus & David Dorais
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Gus pouring milk for his son David at a Detroit Athletic Club luncheon. David would tragically drown two years later.
1945 - Dorais, Cawthon & Bach
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1945 Detroit Lions brain-trust(L-R)- Gus Dorais, Pete Cawthon and Joe Bach.
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
