Art Donovan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.
23 Facts About Art Donovan
2.
Art Donovan, born June 5,1924, was the son of Arthur Donovan Sr.
3.
Art Donovan received a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame in 1942 but left after one semester to join the United States Marine Corps, enlisting in April 1943.
4.
Art Donovan served four years, to include service in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.
5.
Art Donovan took part in some of the conflict's fiercest engagements, such as the Battle of Luzon and the Battle of Iwo Jima.
6.
Art Donovan's earned citations, which included the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal, and would later earn him a place in the US Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, the first pro football player so honored.
7.
In each of his first three seasons, Art Donovan played for a team that went out of business.
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Art Donovan started out with the first Baltimore Colts, which folded after his rookie season in 1950, followed by the New York Yanks in 1951, and their successor, the Dallas Texans, in 1952.
9.
Art Donovan became one of the stars in an outstanding defense and was selected to five straight Pro Bowls, from 1953 through 1957.
10.
Art Donovan was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.
11.
Art Donovan was noted as a jovial and humorous person during his playing career and capitalized on that with television and speaking appearances after retiring as a player.
12.
Art Donovan owned and managed a country club near Baltimore.
13.
Art Donovan appeared ten times on Late Night with David Letterman, telling humorous stories about his old playing days and about other footballers he played with and against in his time.
14.
Art Donovan relayed a story that he played without a helmet and in fact is shown on football cards without a helmet.
15.
Art Donovan made several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
16.
Art Donovan appeared as a guest commentator at the WWF King of the Ring tournament in 1994.
17.
Art Donovan was joined by Gorilla Monsoon on play-by-play, who inadvertently referred to Donovan as "Art O'Donnell", and Randy Savage.
18.
Art Donovan was co-host of the popular 1990s program Braase, Donovan, Davis and Fans on WJZ-TV in Baltimore with Colt teammate Ordell Braase.
19.
Art Donovan was a pitchman for the Maryland State Lottery and ESPN.
20.
Art Donovan was married to the former Dorothy Schaech for 57 years.
21.
Art Donovan died August 4,2013, at Stella Maris Hospice in Baltimore from a respiratory disease at age 89.
22.
Art Donovan appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and reduced both hosts and their audiences to howling in seconds.
23.
Art Donovan was a player and a great storyteller and we'll never see another guy like him.