Don Dufek

Last updated
Don Dufek
Don Dufek (1973).png
Dufek from 1974 Michiganensian
No. 25, 35
Position: S/KR
Personal information
Born: (1954-04-28) April 28, 1954 (age 70)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school: Pioneer (MI)
College: Michigan
NFL draft: 1976  / Round: 5 / Pick: 126
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Quarterback sacks:2.0
Interceptions:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Player stats at PFR

Donald Patrick Dufek Jr. (born April 28, 1954) is a former American football player who played safety and special teams for eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He had previously played for the Michigan Wolverines football team in Ann Arbor from 1973 to 1975. He was chosen to serve as team captain for both the Seahawks and Wolverines.

Contents

At Michigan, he was following in the footsteps of his father Don Dufek Sr. who had been a Wolverine team Most Valuable Player. As a graduate of Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Dufek was able to stay close to home while performing as a two-sport star at the University of Michigan where he played for the Michigan Wolverines football and hockey teams. In football, he was a member of back-to-back Big Ten Conference championship teams at Michigan and became an All-American as well as a team captain.

Dufek, was sought after as a professional athlete in two sports: Dufek was drafted by teams in the National Hockey League, World Hockey Association and National Football League. He opted for football and played his entire professional career with the Seahawks. He endured several unsuccessful seasons in Seattle, but the team made the playoffs in his final two years. In his role as a special teams player, he again became a team captain.

Youth

Dufek grew up attending games at Michigan Stadium. TheBigHouse.jpg
Dufek grew up attending games at Michigan Stadium.

Dufek grew up in Ann Arbor, the son of former fullback, Don Dufek Sr., who was named Most Valuable Player of the 1950 Michigan Wolverines football team and the MVP of the 1951 Rose Bowl. [1] In 1971, Dufek played linebacker for Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and was one of only three unanimous picks for the major All-State football teams in the State of Michigan, as selected by the United Press International (UPI), Associated Press (AP), and Detroit Free Press . [2] [3] The coach of Pioneer's cross-town rival Huron High School said of Dufek in 1971: "He's the best I've seen." [2]

In a 2003 interview with the Grand Rapids Press , Dufek recalled growing up in Ann Arbor and meeting his father's Michigan teammates. "Living in Ann Arbor, and seeing all the things that embody a great university, you learned that there were highly successful people in athletics, and it just made you want to feel a part of it. Then, as you got older, and you got more deeply involved in the game yourself, you just hoped that you had a chance to play in college -- and after watching all those games at Michigan Stadium, that maybe Michigan would take a chance on you." [4]

University of Michigan

Dufek's only bowl game was in the 1976 Orange Bowl. Miami Orange Bowl.jpg
Dufek's only bowl game was in the 1976 Orange Bowl.

Football

Michigan provided Dufek with the opportunity that he had hoped for. He played defensive back for the Wolverines from 1973 to 1975 and was named a team co-captain and an All-American as a member of the 1975 Wolverines team. [5] He was chosen as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, [6] and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, [7] and as a second-team All-American by UPI. [8] Twice named an All-Big Ten safety, Dufek had 249 tackles, nine fumble recoveries and four interceptions for the Wolverines. Although the 1973 and 1974 Michigan teams were Big Ten co-champions, [9] [10] the Ohio State Buckeyes advanced to the Rose Bowl both years, and Dufek's only bowl game appearance was in a 14–6 loss to the Oklahoma in the 1976 Orange Bowl. [5]

Hockey

In addition to receiving three varsity letters in football, Dufek also received four letters as a left wing for the Michigan Wolverines hockey team. [11] Dufek played with the hockey team only after the football season ended, and he managed to score about 10 goals a year in the shortened seasons he played. [12] [13] Dufek made a sufficiently solid showing in his freshman and sophomore years at Michigan that the Detroit Red Wings selected him in the sixth round of the 1974 NHL amateur draft. [14] He was also drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association with the 162nd overall selection in the eleventh round of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft. [15] [16]

In a 1975 interview, Dufek noted his love of both sports: "There are times when I've thought of dropping one or the other, but heck, I've been doing this since high school and it would be pretty tough to quit them both now." [17] Dufek added: "Hockey is a more relaxed thing. It's a smaller atmosphere and you have to deal with only one or two coaches. You can be more individual and flashy. Football has certain assignments and you can't really express yourself." [17] In the end, however, Dufek chose the NFL over the NHL. He explained: "I've decided to pursue professional football because I would probably have an extensive tour in the hockey minor leagues and I don't want that." [12]

Seattle Seahawks

Dufek was drafted by the Seahawks with the second selection of fifth round and 126th overall selection of the 1976 NFL Draft. [18] Dufek was one of the original Seahawks in 1976, the franchise's first year in the NFL, [19] [20] and he played for them until 1984. [21] He was the captain of the Seahawks' special teams units in 1981 and 1982. During both of these seasons he was co-captain along with eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-term representative in United States House of Representatives, Steve Largent, the captain of the offensive unit and Keith Simpson, captain of the defensive unit. [22] Over the course of his career he had three interceptions, two quarterback sacks, a fumble recovery and thirteen kickoff returns. [21] Sportswriter Richard Kucner once wrote: "Don Dufek was the kind of guy who just won't take 'No' for an answer. He was released in training camp four times during his eight-year Seahawks career. But each time, Seattle had a change of heart, bringing him back. Today, he is remembered as one of the best special teams performers the team has had." [23]

After numerous seasons under Jack Patera from 1976-1982 and interim coach Mike McCormack in 1982, the Seahawks finally reached the playoffs in Dufek's final two seasons under Chuck Knox. During the 1983 NFL season, the Seahawks went 9-7 and reached the AFC Championship Game where they lost to the Oakland Raiders. [24] Then, during the 1984 NFL season, the Seahawks went 12-4 and failed to reach the Conference Championships during the 1984-85 Playoffs. [25]

Dufek was interviewed by the Ann Arbor News in 2006 about life in Seattle. He said: "It's a bigger version of Ann Arbor. It's overcast, and it's green and clean." And there's the coffee. "It's really comical," says Dufek of all the coffee stops in Seattle. "Even the gas stations have coffee bars." [26]

Family

Dufek now lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Candi Dufek. Dufek ran his own construction company, Dufek Wolverine Construction. [27] In December 2006, the Detroit Free Press did a feature about the Dufek family and their big U-M tailgate parties. The article noted: "It's hard to get more maize and blue than the Dufek family. Candy Dufek met Donnie Dufek in the first grade in Ann Arbor, and cheered as he played under Bo Schembechler in the 1970s. Younger brother, Bill also played for U-M from 1974 to 1978, also attaining All-American status. Their younger brother Joe, however, played for Yale (as well as pro ball as a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers). They are the sons of legendary U-M Hall of Famer, Don Dufek Sr., who scored two touchdowns in U-M's 1951 Rose Bowl win." [28] [29] Dufek has two children, Jacqueline and Frank. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Brown (cornerback)</span> American football player and coach (1953–2006)

David Steven Brown was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1975), Seattle Seahawks (1976–1986), and Green Bay Packers (1987–1989). He was selected as a second-team All-NFL player in 1984 and a second-team All-AFC player in 1985. His 62 career interceptions ranks tied for tenth in NFL history, with only five players having more interceptions in a career since his career ended in 1989. His 50 interceptions with the Seahawks remains a club record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Long</span> American football player (born 1985)

Jake Edward Long is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, twice earning consensus All-American honors. Long was selected with the first overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hutchinson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1977)

Steven John Hutchinson is an American former football guard who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, and was named a unanimous All-American. The Seattle Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, and he also played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

James Walter Morris is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots and for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Robert Hollway was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan and was a member of Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams. He thereafter served as an assistant at the University of Maine (1951-1952), Eastern Michigan University (1953), Michigan (1954-1965) before joining the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, as the head coach of the National Football League (NFL)'s St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1972), and assistant coaching stints with the Detroit Lions (1973-1974), San Francisco 49ers (1975), and Seattle Seahawks (1976-1977).

Walt Downing is a former American football player. He played professional football as an offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1983. He played for Bill Walsh and was a member of the 1981 San Francisco 49ers team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl. He also played for the Denver Gold in the USFL. Downing played college football for Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan from 1975 to 1977. He was a co-captain of the 1977 Michigan Wolverines football team and was selected that year as a first-team All-American.

Rod Payne is a former professional American football center who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He is also a former All-American center who played for the University of Michigan Michigan Wolverines football team from 1993 to 1996. He won a Super Bowl with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. He became a high school football coach and was named the 2007 South Florida Sun-Sentinel Class 3A-2A-1A Coach of the Year. In March 2009, Payne was announced as the defensive line coach for Florida Atlantic University. After leaving Florida Atlantic, Payne was named the head football coach at Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton, Florida. Payne stepped down from his position at Spanish River after going 0–10 in one season. He is now a personal fitness trainer at The Facility for Personal Training in Boca Raton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Dufek Sr.</span> American football player and administrator (1929–2014)

Donald Edward Dufek Sr. was an American football player and athletic director at Grand Valley State University and Kent State University. He is the father of All-American football players Don, and Bill as well as Joe who all played in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1950 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1950 Big Ten Conference football season. Coached by Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines won the Big Ten Conference championship with a record of 6–3–1 and defeated California in the 1951 Rose Bowl, 14–6. The team had two All-Big 10 backs in Don Dufek and Chuck Ortmann and All-American tackle R. Allen "Brick" Wahl. Despite losing three times and tying once, Michigan was ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the UPI Poll at season's end. The Wolverines played a regular season game at Yankee Stadium against Army on October 14, 1950. They lost that game 27–6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1989 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its 21st and final season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the team compiled a 10–2 record, won the Big Ten championship, lost to USC in the 1990 Rose Bowl, outscored opponents by a total of 335 to 184, and was ranked No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, in the final AP and UPI polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1975 Big Ten Conference football season. In it seventh season under head coach Bo Schembechler, Michigan compiled an 8–2–2 record, outscored all opponents by a total of 324 to 130, and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP and UPI polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Seal</span> American football player (born 1952)

Paul Nathan Seal is a former American football player. He played college football as a tight end for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973 and professional football as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints from 1974 to 1976 and for the San Francisco 49ers from 1977 to 1979. In his six-year NFL career, Seal totaled 106 receptions, 1,586 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Daniel Douglas Jilek was an American football linebacker and defensive end. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines (1973–1975) and professional football for the Buffalo Bills (1976–1979).

Joseph Edward Dufek is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 1983. He played college football at Yale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Schilling</span> American football player (born 1988)

Stephen Dana Schilling is a former American football offensive guard. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award. He had previously been a two-time Associated Press first-team Class 3A All-state selection in Washington for the Bellevue High School Wolverines football team where he played on three state champion teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1974 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1974 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 10–1 record, outscored opponents 324 to 75, and were ranked #3 in final AP Poll. Michigan won the first ten games of the 1974 season in convincing fashion, including blowout victories over Colorado (31-0), Navy (52-0), Minnesota (49-0), and Purdue (51-0). In the final game of the season, #2 Michigan faced #3 Ohio State. The Wolverines lost by a score of 12-10, as place-kicker Mike Lantry missed a last-minute field goal that would have given Michigan a victory.

Robert J. Derleth was an American football lineman. He played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1943, 1945 and 1946 — missing the 1944 season due to military service. He also played professional football for the Detroit Lions in 1947.

The 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1944 Big Ten Conference football season. Under seventh-year head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a record of 8–2, outscored opponents 204 to 91, finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference, and was ranked #8 in the final AP Poll. The team opened the season with a victory over an Iowa-Pre-Flight team that won all of its remaining games and ended the season ranked #6 in the final AP Poll. The Wolverines then shut out four opponents: Marquette (14-0); Northwestern (27-0); Illinois (14-0); and Wisconsin (14-0). The team's two losses came against Indiana and an undefeated Ohio State team that was ranked #2 in the final AP Poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973–74 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1973–74 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1973–74 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Murdock</span> American football player (born 1950)

Guy Boyd Murdock is a former American football player. He played at the center position for the Houston Oilers during the 1972 NFL season and was named to the NFL All-Rookie team. He also played for the Chicago Fire and Chicago Winds of the World Football League (WFL) in 1974 and 1975. He was selected as the Fire's most valuable player in 1974.

References

  1. ↑ "GVSU sports pioneer receives his due from U-M; former Michigan fullback, Grand Valley AD honored". Grand Rapids Press. 2006-12-24.
  2. 1 2 "Trojan Dave Whiteford Named On All-State Team". Traverse City Record-Eagle. 1971-12-02.
  3. ↑ Bell, Ken (1971-12-08). "Second Guesses". Traverse City Record-Eagle.
  4. ↑ Mayo, Dave (2003-11-22). "Unparalleled rivalry; Men with area ties helped build the tradition of UM-OSU game". Grand Rapids Press.
  5. 1 2 "1975 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  6. ↑ UPI wire service report (1975-12-03). "Dufek on Team". The Holland, Michigan Evening Sentinel.
  7. ↑ UPI wire service report (1975-12-14). "Selmon Brothers On All-American". Cumberland Sunday Times.
  8. ↑ "UPI Selects 1975 All-American Team". The Coshcocton Tribune. 1975-12-04.
  9. ↑ "1973 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  10. ↑ "1974 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  11. ↑ "University of Michigan Football All-American, 1975, Team Co-Captain, 1975: Don Dufek". The Regents of the University of Michigan. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  12. 1 2 AP wire service report (1976-06-18). "Dufek Ready for All-Star Test". The Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.).
  13. ↑ "Don Dufek". HockeyDB.com. Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  14. ↑ AP wire service report (1974-05-30). "Wings Draft Two From Michigan". The News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, Mich.
  15. ↑ "1974 NHL amateur draft". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  16. ↑ "1974 WHA Amateur Draft". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  17. 1 2 Lucas, Mike (1975-01-17). "Two Dufeks Better Than One". The Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.).
  18. ↑ "1976 NFL Player Draft". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  19. ↑ "Seattle Seahawks". Tank Productions. 2002-08-21. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  20. ↑ "Seattle Seahawks Team History". Seattle Seahawks. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  21. 1 2 "Don Dufek". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  22. ↑ "Don Dufek was there!". beckys-place.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  23. ↑ Higgs, Ben (1992). Kucner, Richard (ed.). Sidelines: Behind the Scenes of America's Favorite Sport . Cadmus Marketing, Inc. ISBN   0-9629648-2-4.
  24. ↑ "1983 Seattle Seahawks". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  25. ↑ "1984 Seattle Seahawks". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  26. ↑ "Seattle is Ann Arbor's soul mate". Ann Arbor News. 2006-01-30.
  27. 1 2 "M News 2002" (PDF). Fall 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  28. ↑ Montemurri, Patricia (2006-12-24). "Party Time: 5 tips for football and other get-togethers". Detroit Free Press.
  29. ↑ Estes, Ben (2010-03-25). "In final season, Dufek looks to carry on family tradition of excellence". Michigan Daily . Retrieved 2011-03-27.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.