Suren "Jay" Donabedian
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Sport:
Football |
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Year
Graduated: 1969 |
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Year
Inducted: 2004 |
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, Terrier head coach Warren Schmakel knew just how important
a cog Jay was in the Terrier defense.
"He is the best football player I have ever coached,"
Schmakel said of Donabedian.
The 1968 Boston University fall press guide noted that Jay,
who was the team captain that season, is "strong, quick,
hard hitter, and smart - the complete player and team leader."
The write-up proved to be prophetic as Jay 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 Jay 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 College of Business
Administration, was selected to Scarlet Key, and was awarded
an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.
What makes Jay'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. A graduate
of Woodbury High School in his hometown of Salem, NH, 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 Boston University where his older
brother, Larry, had attended. However, Jay did not think he
was good enough to play football for the Terriers and did
not try out for the team. However, 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."
Jay 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 'B.U. 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, Jay
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.
Tonight, the blue travel blazer worn by the football travel
squad is exchanged for a scarlet blazer as Jay Donabedian,
who didn't think he was good enough as a freshman, is inducted
into the Hall of Fame.
