Donn Moomaw
{{Short description|American football player (1931–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Donn Moomaw
| image = Donn Moomaw 1951 (full).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Moomaw in 1951
| number = 80
| position = Center
Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|10|15}}
| birth_place = Santa Ana, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|2|10|1931|10|15}}
| death_place = Pasadena, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 220
| high_school = Santa Ana
| college = UCLA
| draftyear = 1953
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 9
| pastteams = * Toronto Argonauts (1953)
| highlights = * Consensus All-American (1952)
- First-team All-American (1950)
- Second-team All-American (1951)
- 3× First-team All-PCC (1950, 1951, 1952)
- UCLA Bruins No. 80 retired
| CollegeHOF = 1777
}}
Donn Dement Moomaw (October 15, 1931 – February 10, 2025) was an American professional football player and Presbyterian minister. Moomaw played college football for the UCLA Bruins as the center and linebacker for the team. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.{{cite web |title=Donn Moomaw (1973) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1777 |publisher=National Football Foundation |access-date=12 February 2025 |language=en |archive-date=November 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130102853/https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1777 |url-status=live }}
Moomaw served on the California State Board of Education from 1968 to 1972. He was known for serving as a pastor at the Bel Air Presbyterian Church, where he befriended then-Governor Ronald Reagan. He gave the invocation at Reagan's inaugurations as California governor and as President of the United States.{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2025 |title=Hall of Famer Donn Moomaw Passes Away |url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2025/2/11/football-hall-of-famer-donn-moomaw-passes-away.aspx |access-date=February 12, 2025 |publisher=National Football Foundation}}
Early life
Donn Dement Moomaw was born on October 15, 1931, in Santa Ana, California.{{Cite journal |last=Feinsilver |first=Lillian Mermin |date=Summer 1983 |title=Speaking of the Clergy |journal=American Speech |volume=58 |issue=2 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/455323 |access-date=February 12, 2025 |pages=114–125|doi=10.2307/455323 |jstor=455323 }} He attended Santa Ana High School.
Football career
Moomaw played linebacker in 1950, 1951, and 1952. During that time, he was named a two time All-American (in 1950 and consensus in 1952), making him the first in UCLA history. He was named most valuable player both in 1950 and 1952, and he was co-captain in 1952.
Moomaw was selected in the first round of the 1953 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams.{{cite web |title=First Team All-American Profiles |url=http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=208194373&SPID=126913&SPSID=749826 |publisher=UCLA Bruins |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908111831/http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=208194373&SPID=126913&SPSID=749826 |archive-date=2014-09-08 |url-status=dead |access-date=8 September 2014}} However, he did not play in the NFL, noting that he did not want to play football on Sundays.{{cite news |title=Moomaw to Sign Pact With Canadians Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11507245/moomaw_to_sign_pact_with_canadians_today/ |date=1953-08-14 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20181013211915/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11507245/moomaw_to_sign_pact_with_canadians_today/ |archive-date=2018-10-13 |url-status=live |work=Los Angeles Times |last1=Curnow |first1=Jack |access-date=June 6, 2017 |pages=56 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Florence |first=Mal |date=1981-07-31 |title=Moomaw: No Regret on Path Not Taken |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/07/31/moomaw-no-regret-on-path-not-taken/88de0f7f-9a52-4002-82dc-4c1fb312ed78/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 12, 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827134910/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/07/31/moomaw-no-regret-on-path-not-taken/88de0f7f-9a52-4002-82dc-4c1fb312ed78/ |url-status=live }} Moomaw signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He appeared in seven games for the Argonauts in 1953, and two games for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1955.{{cite web |url=http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=moomadon001 |title=Donn Moomaw Statistics |website=justsportsstats.com |access-date=June 6, 2017 |archive-date=December 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218014417/http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=moomadon001 |url-status=live }}
Moomaw's UCLA jersey No. 80 was retired by the team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973, and the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1984. His football legacy at UCLA continues through the "Donn D. Moomaw Award for Outstanding Defensive Player in USC Game".{{cite web |title=Annual UCLA Football Awards |url=http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=207872738&SPID=126913&SPSID=749825 |publisher=UCLA Bruins |date=1999-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908112031/http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=207872738&SPID=126913&SPSID=749825 |archive-date=2014-09-08 |url-status=dead |access-date=8 September 2014}}
Minister career
File:Reverend Donn Moomaw delivers the invocation at the 1981 Inaugural Ceremony on the west front of the US Capitol.jpg at the first inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981]]
Moomaw later became a Presbyterian minister, most notably serving Los Angeles' Bel Air Presbyterian Church as pastor from 1964 to 1993. During this time, he became friends with California governor Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy. Moomaw gave the invocation at Reagan's inauguration as governor of California in both 1967{{Cite news |last=Weisser |first=Peter |date=1967-01-01 |title=Reagan Will Take Over State's Helm In Dramatic Ceremony |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49696380/reagans-1967-inauguration-clip-2 |access-date=2020-04-27 |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} and 1971{{Cite news |date=1971-01-04 |title=Cannons, People Both Roar, Some With Disapproval, During Festivities |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-reagans-1971-inaugur/49696463/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=20 |via=Newspapers.com}} and later at his 1981 presidential inauguration and 1985 presidential inauguration. His invocation at the 1981 inauguration included a prayer for freedom for 52 Americans.
=Sex scandal=
In 1993, he was forced to resign as a result of "sexual contact" with five women.{{cite news |title=In Ministry, Dealing With Temptations Of The Flesh The Concern Is That Affairs Can Be Harmful. |url=http://articles.philly.com/1995-03-22/living/25697814_1_celibacy-priests-buddhist-monk |date=1995-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153145/http://articles.philly.com/1995-03-22/living/25697814_1_celibacy-priests-buddhist-monk |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |last1=Barrientos |first1=Tanya}} In 1997, he was allowed to return to the pulpit on a full-time basis at the 800-member Village Community Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe. Prior to that position, Moomaw was allowed to serve as the guest preacher at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.{{cite news |title=Rev. Moomaw Back in Pulpit After Suspension |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-26-mn-16539-story.html |date=1997-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216102508/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-26-mn-16539-story.html |archive-date=2023-12-16 |url-status=live |work=Los Angeles Times |last1=Dart |first1=John |url-access=subscription |access-date=2013-11-24}}
Personal life and death
Moomaw was predeceased by his wife, Carol. They had five children and ten grandchildren. He served on the California State Board of Education from 1968 to 1972.
Moomaw died in Pasadena, California, on February 10, 2025, at the age of 93.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name| 0600579}}
{{1952 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1953 NFL Draft}}
{{RamsFirstPick}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 1953 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moomaw, Donn}}
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football centers
Category:American Presbyterians
Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players
Category:Players of American football from Santa Ana, California
Category:Players of Canadian football from California