Don Lourie masterfully orchestrates the offense and pioneers the use of the audible to secure his legacy as a legendary Princeton quarterback. His brilliant tactics on the field and exceptional leadership off the field distinguish him as one of the most defining figures of the early 1920s gridiron.
Football Bio
August 22, 1899 – Don Lourie, a former quarterback of the Princeton Tigers, was born.
In 1974, the famed quarterback was honored by enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was a 1920 Consensus All-American as a junior and even won a track-and-field championship in Great Britain. Laurie initiated one of the most famous early audibles in football against Yale.
When in a tight game, he called out a check with me to turn a field goal attempt into a fake and ran the ball to Pater.
Walter Camp would later say of Lourie that he was a great field general who could decipher what the opposition was doing and adapt his team’s play to counter it. And after football, Mr. Laurie was the president of the Quaker Oats Company.
Don Lourie cements his place in history by constantly outsmarting opponents and leading Princeton to memorable victories. He proves that true athletic genius extends beyond the physical game, eventually carrying his leadership skills straight into the corporate boardroom. [FootballFoundation.org]
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1974.
Consensus First-Team All-American: 1920.
Third-Team All-American: 1921.
Track and Field Champion: Won the British AAA Championships title in the long jump in 1920.
Princeton Team Honors: Awarded the Poe Memorial Cup and Arthur Wheeler Award for outstanding scholarship, leadership, and athletic performance.
All-Time Princeton Team: Selected to the roster in 1948.
National Football Foundation Gold Medal: Received the prestigious lifetime achievement award in 1964.
Legacy Award: Princeton University established the Donold B. Lourie Award, given annually to the team’s most outstanding freshman player.
Corporate Leadership: Achieved immense success in business, rising to become the President of the Quaker Oats Company in 1947.
