Pepperdine Football Memories Through the Years; 1946-61 By Dick Dornan Special to PepperdineSports.com MALIBU, Calif. -- For 16 wonderful and memorable seasons, Pepperdine football captured the hearts of its fans and local community through the passionate play of its players and leadership of its coaches. From the tough-nosed running of fullback Darwin Horn in the late 1940s through the inspired performances of quarterback Jay Roelen in the mid-50s to the Waves final game in 1961, Pepperdine football symbolized an era of dreams, hope, accomplishment, fulfillment and togetherness. The following editorial recounts and shares the fond memories of 36 special men who dedicated their time and commitment to playing or coaching football for George Pepperdine College. Sit back and enjoy reading these anecdotes as former Pepperdine gridiron greats reminisce and reflect upon some very special times playing the game they loved representing the school they so admired.
************************** 1946 – 1950 As I entered the home of Pepperdine’s most decorated football player in the beautiful hills of Rancho Palos Verdes, I was immediately greeted by the warmth and kindness of Darwin Horn. Standing at 6-foot-3 with a physique that still had the resemblance of a competitive and determined running back, Horn welcomed me with open arms and escorted me into a room where former Pepperdine standouts Harry Nelson, Keith Dolan, Monte Lefton and Ed Hyduke awaited my arrival. Dressed in their white Pepperdine alumni sweatshirts, Horn and Nelson introduced me to “the gang”. Dolan and Lefton had driven up from San Diego while Nelson and Hyduke commuted from nearby. Having been served a nice, warm cup of cappuccino by Nelson, it was time to discuss the inception of the GPC program and their time spent playing there. In many ways, these five men were a part of the birth of Pepperdine football and its subsequent glory years. In 1946, George Pepperdine College had an enrollment of 1,200 students, 300 of which lived on the Los Angeles campus (34 acres located in the Vermont Knolls area, just a few miles south of downtown). World War II had come to an end and many young men who served their country were returning home to the lives they left behind. For many, starting life anew meant enrolling in college. The GI Bill allowed them to leave the service and get an education. Al Duer, Pepperdine’s Director of Athletics at the time, introduced Warren Gaer as the school’s first head football coach. This was Gaer’s first position on the college level after coaching 10 different high school football teams. His coaching resume began in 1