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Eric Allen rush for a then NCAA-record 350 yards vs. Purdue in 1971. Tabbed by Buffalo in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft, he enjoyed a 14-year pro career, earning All-Pro honors on six occasions. don dohoney #80 e | 6-1 | 193 Ann Arbor, MIch. Don Dohoney was an All-America choice as a senior in 1953 as picked by the Associated Press, United Press, Collier’s, Look, The Sporting News, Football News, Central Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association and NBCTV. A captain of the ’53 Spartans, his play at defensive end helped the Spartans hold five of their nine regular-season opponents to less than 10 points. Dohoney drew acclaim for his performance against Minnesota and All-America back Paul Giel by holding him to just 23 rushing yards in 20 attempts in a 21-0 win. MSU posted a 27-1 won-lost slate during the three years that he lettered. Al dorrow #47 qb | 6-0 | 175 Imlay City, MIch. Al Dorow, who quarterbacked the Spartans to a perfect 9-0 record and the 1951 National Championship, earned First-Team All-America honors from the International News Service. As a senior in 1951, Dorow completed 64-of-114 throws for 842 yards and nine TDs while producing wins over three ranked opponents: No. 17 Michigan (25-0 in Ann Arbor), No. 7 Ohio State (24-20 in Columbus) and No. 11 Notre Dame (35-0 in East Lansing). Facing a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit at Ohio State, Dorow threw a 3-yard TD pass to Paul Ekker and scored on a 28-yard reception from Tom Yewcic on a fourth-and-6 play as the Spartans rallied to record their ninth-straight win, 24-20. He earned United Press International’s Midwest Back of the Week honors after completing 11-of-17 passes for 112 yards and two TDs in MSU’s shutout win over Notre Dame. Born Nov. 15, 1929, in Imlay City, Mich., Dorow earned three letters from 1949-51 for legendary head coach Clarence “Biggie” Munn. As a two-year starter at quarterback, he compiled a 17-1 career record, including back-to-back Top 10 finishes in 1950-51. The 6-foot, 175-pound Dorow won his last 15 starts in a row. He finished his collegiate career as Michigan State’s all-time leader in pass completions (125), pass attempts (259), passing yards (1,875) and touchdown passes (19). Dorow accounted for 26 total TDs, including four scoring runs and three TD receptions. After graduation, Dorow played football at Bolling Field Air Base in Washington, D.C., where he was voted top player in the Air Force Service in 1954. A third-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in 1952, he spent seven years in the National/American Football League (Washington, 1954-56; Philadelphia, 1957; New York Titans, 1960-61; and Buffalo, 1962). Dorow made two Pro Bowl appearances (1956 and 1961) and led the AFL with 26 TD passes in 1960. In addition, he spent two seasons in the Canadian Football League, playing for British Columbia (1958-59) and Toronto (1959). Dorne Dibble #82 e | 6-2 | 198 Adrian, MIch. Dorne Dibble was an All-American as a senior in 1950 as selected by Look Magazine. A talented receiver, he stood out at the defensive end, helping MSU hold opponents to an average of just 97 yards on the ground while finishing with an 8-1 record. During his two years, Dibble caught a total of 16 passes for 363 yards and five TDs. A third-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions, he starred as a receiver there from 1953-57.
Ellis Duckett #32 e | 5-10 | 176 Flint, MIch.
BRANDON FIELDS #8 P | 6-6 | 234 Toledo, OHio
Ellis Duckett was an All-America pick as a sophomore in 1952 as chosen by NBCTV. The speedy receiver paced the squad with 10 receptions for 325 yards and five TDs. Duckett broke the heart of Texas A&M by catching two passes for 127 yards and two scores in a 47-18 Spartan win. One of his catches was an 81-yarder, then the secondlongest completion in MSU history. Duckett will be forever remembered for his blocked punt that he returned for a TD in the 1954 Rose Bowl that turned the tide in the Spartans’ favor (MSU trailed by a 14-0 margin at the time) en route to a 28-20 win over UCLA. He finished his career with 27 receptions for 575 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Brandon Fields, a consensus All-America selection as a sophomore, led the nation in punting with his 47.9-yard average in 2004. The Toledo, Ohio, native earned first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp, SI.com and Rivals.com. Fields, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s media panel and finalist for the Ray Guy Award, led the nation in punting for 12 weeks during the 2004 regular season, including the last 11 in a row. He hit 23 punts 50 or more yards and had 13 kicks downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound Fields averaged 51.0 yards on four punts vs. Wisconsin, including a 49-yarder that went out of bounds at the Badger 4 late in the third quarter. Fields averaged 54.0 yards on three punts vs. Ohio State, including a 62-yarder in the third quarter that was downed at the OSU 1-yard line. He averaged 55.7 yards on three punts vs. Illinois, including two kicks downed inside the Illini 20. Fields averaged 53.0 yards on four punts vs. Indiana, including a season-long 65-yarder, with two kicks downed inside the Hoosier 20. He averaged 55.3 yards on six punts vs. Central Michigan, including a 62-yarder. His 45.0-yard punting average ranks No. 2 on MSU’s all-time list and No. 3 in Big Ten history. Fields was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
billy joe dupree #89 te | 6-4 | 216 West Monroe, LA. Billy Joe DuPree was an All-American as a senior in 1972 as chosen by Time Magazine. Playing in a run-oriented attack, he led the Spartans in receptions with 23 for 406 yards. During his final campaign, he grabbed eight passes against Southern Cal, then tying for the second-highest total by a Spartan player in a single game, for 134 yards. He closed out his career in the No. 3 spot on MSU’s career reception list with 69. Chosen in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1973 NFL Draft, he enjoyed a fine 10-year pro career, earning all-league honors on three occasions. Paul Edinger #1 pk | 5-10 | 175 Lakeland, FLa. Paul Edinger earned first-team AllAmerica honors in 1998 from the AllAmerican Football Foundation, the only all-star lineup selected after the postseason bowl games. As a junior, he led the Big Ten and ranked third in the NCAA in field goals at 2.0 made per game. Edinger connected on a school single-season record 22-of-26 field-goal attempts (.846), including eight-of-nine field-goal tries from 40-plus yards. He converted a Spartanrecord 13-straight field goals during a four-game stretch. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder from Lakeland, Fla., tied the school’s single-game record for field goals with five each vs. Northwestern and top-ranked Ohio State. Edinger ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in field goals made (third with 46) and scoring (seventh with 213 points). He was one of only four placekickers selected in the 2000 NFL Draft, going in the sixth round to the Chicago Bears. james ellis #11 db | 5-11 | 175 Saginaw, MIch. A standout both as a return specialist and as defensive back, James Ellis was named to the Chicago Tribune Players All-America defensive team as a safety both as a sophomore (1951) and junior (1952). During the 1951 season, he picked off six passes while returning 24 punts a total of 305 yards. He returned 10 kicks an average of 24 yards and turned in a 79-yard effort against Michigan, then the second longest in MSU annals. Ellis returned punts for touchdowns in back-to-back contests vs. Penn State (57 yards) and Pittsburgh (54). In ’52, he recovered four fumbles and was credited with seven touchdown-saving tackles. In addition, Ellis picked off a pair of passes while returning 17 punts a total of 148 yards, including a 59-yarder for a score vs. Syracuse. He closed out his career in the No. 1 spot on MSU’s career ladder in kickoff return yards (515) and punt return yards (619).
larry fowler #70 t | 6-1 | 200 Lansing, MIch. Larry Fowler was an All-America pick his senior year in 1953 as chosen by NBC-TV. A member of the Spartans’ 1954 Rose Bowl team that fashioned a 9-1 mark along with a No. 3 national ranking. Fowler, a three-time letterman, was one of the few MSU linemen to play both ways when two-platoon football was utilized in the college ranks. kirk gibson #23 wr | 6-2 | 210 Waterford, MIch. One of the great receivers in MSU history, Kirk Gibson was an All-American as a senior in 1978 as chosen by United Press, The Sporting News, Football News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Gibson hauled in 42 receptions for a team-high 806 yards, then No. 1 on the school’s seasonal list. He paced all Big Ten players in receptions (31) and receiving yards (613) in league outings. He turned in a pair of 100-yard receiving games in ’78, including a 146-yard performance (three catches) vs. Wisconsin, the high-water mark by a conference player that year. One of his catches was an 86-yard toss from QB Ed Smith, the longest pass play in the conference that season. His game-breaking speed helped the Spartans to a Big Ten co-championship and a No. 12 national ranking. He closed out his career as MSU’s all-time leader in receptions (112) and receiving yards (2,347). In addition, his 21.0 yardsper-catch average still ranks as the No. 1 mark in Spartan history. Gibson was a standout as a baseball player as well, earning All-America honors in that sport, making him just one of three MSU athletes to earn that recognition in two sports. A No. 1 draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 1978, he played on Detroit’s World Series championship team in ’84 and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ title team in ’88. In 1996, he was named to the MSU Centennial Super Squad.
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