There were players who drew more attention from the media than Jay Donabedian. There were Pat Hughes, Dick Farley and Bruce Taylor just for a beginning. Hughes was an All-Everything linebacker, while Taylor drew all the post-season honors in the secondary, and Farley was similarly honored as a safety.
But then-head coach Warren Schmakel knew just how important a cog Donabedian was in the Terrier defense.
"He is the best football player I have ever coached," Schmakel said.
The 1968 Boston University fall press guide noted Donabedian, who was the team captain that season, as "strong, quick, hard hitter and smart — the complete player and team leader."
The write-up proved to be prophetic as Donabedian went on to earn team MVP honors as well as All-New England as he helped lead the team to a 5-3-1 record. The Denver Broncos liked what they saw of Donabedian and offered him a tryout as a free agent.
His performances away from Nickerson Field were equally impressive as he was named the Man of the Year by the Questrom School of Business, was selected to Scarlet Key and was awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.
What makes Donabedian's induction into the Hall of Fame particularly noteworthy is that he did not play football during his freshman year because he did not think he was good enough and did not try out for the team. A graduate of Woodbury H.S. in his hometown of Salem, New Hampshire, he spent a post-graduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy. He had hoped to go to Dartmouth or Harvard but was not accepted to either.
Instead, he matriculated at BU where his older brother, Larry, had attended. During the fall of his freshman year, he missed football so much that he decided to try out for the team during spring practice. The coaching staff did not know anything about this thin prospect from New Hampshire and put him at linebacker.
"I remember we were scrimmaging during the week leading to the spring game, and one of our corner backs got hurt," recalled Donabedian. "The coaches asked if anyone wanted to play corner, and I volunteered."
Donabedian was moved to the secondary in time for the spring game and played so well that he was moved to second team on the depth chart.
"During the summer, I received a package from the football staff and there was a t-shirt that said 'BU Football' on it," he said. "I remember being so excited that I don't remember taking the shirt off all summer. Also, in the package was a letter in which they asked me for my measurements for a blazer. The only players who got a blazer were the ones who traveled with the team so I knew I had made the travel squad."
When the Terriers opened the 1966 season at Colgate, Donabedian was in uniform but on the sidelines. During the game, Colgate running back Marv Hubbard, who went on to enjoy an excellent NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, came around the corner and barreled over the Terrier cornerback. The collision broke the Terrier player's hand, and Donabedian was summoned to the field.
The following week, he was in the starting lineup when the Terriers traveled to Maine, and he responded with an eight-tackle performance in a 20-7 victory.
The blue travel blazer worn by the football travel squad was exchanged for a scarlet blazer as Jay Donabedian, who didn't think he was good enough as a freshman, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
