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'51 Dons is a 2014 documentary film directed by Ron Luscinski and written by Luscinski, Tom Davis and Danny Llewelyn. Narrated by Johnny Mathis, it covers the 1951 San Francisco Dons football team and its unique stand against racism. The team, including future NFL players and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Bob St. Clair and Gino Marchetti, declined an invitation to play in the Orange Bowl that would have required them to leave their African-American players Ollie Matson and Burl Toler home. This act was one of the contributing factors that led to the end of organized football at the University of San Francisco. The university's athletic news director, Pete Rozelle, went on to become the commissioner of the NFL, where he reshaped American football.
Original Release
02/09/2014
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Johnny Mathis | Narrator |
| Raymond Bell | Self |
| Darrell Carr | Self |
| Susan Toler Carr | Self |
| Kristine Setting Clark | Self |
| Dick Colombini | Self |
| Toi Cook | Self |
| Harry Edwards | Self |
| Bob Fouts | Self |
| Roosevelt Grier | Self |
Directors
Writers
Ron Luscinski, Danny Llewelyn, Tom Davis
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Johnny Mathis | Narrator |
| Raymond Bell | Self |
| Darrell Carr | Self |
| Susan Toler Carr | Self |
| Kristine Setting Clark | Self |
| Dick Colombini | Self |
| Toi Cook | Self |
| Harry Edwards | Self |
| Bob Fouts | Self |
| Roosevelt Grier | Self |
| Bill Henneberry | Self |
| Bill Husak | Self |
| Clarence Jones | Self |
| Walt Jourdan | Self |
| Joe King IV | Self |
| Bill Kuharich | Self |
| Ollie G. Matson III | Self |
| Bruce Matson | Self |
| Lesa Matson | Self |
| Ocie M. Matson-Thompson | Self |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Tom Davis | Producer |
| Ron Luscinski | Producer |
| Bob Dussault | Producer |
| Sonia Lisette | Producer |
| Danny Llewelyn | Producer |
| Peter M. Tobyansen | Producer |
