Doyle Nave
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1915–1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Doyle Nave
| image = Doyle Nave 1943.jpg
| height_in = 11
| caption = Nave, circa 1943
| alt =
| number = 17
| position = Quarterback
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|7|12}}
| birth_place = Bedford County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|12|10|1915|7|12}}
| death_place = Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| high_school = Manual Arts (CA)
Black-Foxe Military Institute (CA)
| weight_lb = 174
| college = USC
| draftyear = 1940
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 6
| pastteams =
- USC Trojans (1936–1939)
- Detroit Lions ({{nfly|1940}})*
- Hawaii Polar Bears (1940s)
- Hollywood Bears (1940)
| pastcoaching =
- Hawaii Polar Bears (1940s)
| status =
| highlights =
| pfr =
}}
Samuel Doyle Nave (July 12, 1915 – December 10, 1990) was an American football player and coach. He was known for coming off the bench and throwing the game-winning touchdown in the 1939 Rose Bowl. He was drafted 6th overall by the Detroit Lions but did not play for them. Afterwards he was the head coach of the Hawaii Polar Bears, a minor-league team.
Early life
Doyle Nave was born on July 12, 1915, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
College career
Nave went to college at USC. He played on their freshmen team in 1936. From 1937 to 1939, he was one of their backup quarterbacks.
= 1939 Rose Bowl =
In the 1939 Rose Bowl, he came off the bench with little time left and threw 4 straight completed passes to tight end Al Krueger.{{Cite news|date=1938-10-18|title=Clipped From The Los Angeles Times|pages=31|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73531580/the-los-angeles-times/|access-date=2021-03-15}} His fourth pass was completed for a touchdown with seconds remaining to beat the Duke Blue Devils 7–3.{{Cite web|title=USC football throwback: The trick that won the Trojans the 1939 Rose Bowl|url=https://reignoftroy.com/2019/07/11/usc-football-throwback-trick-won-trojans-1939-rose-bowl/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Reign of Troy|date=11 July 2019 |language=en-US}}{{Cite news|date=1939-01-03|title=Doyle Nave Thankful|pages=42|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73531077/the-los-angeles-times/|access-date=2021-03-15|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|date=1939-01-03|title=DOYLE NAVE RIVALS NATION'S TOP HURLERS|author=Joe Goss|pages=6|work=News-Pilot|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73531186/news-pilot/|access-date=2021-03-15|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|date=1939-01-03|title=Unsung Sub Quarterback Trojan Hero. Doyle Nave, Fourth Stringer, Hurls Last Minute Pag to Whip Duke, 7-3. |pages=8|work=Beatrice Daily Sun|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73531330/beatrice-daily-sun/|access-date=2021-03-15|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|date=1939-01-03|title=Touchdown Pass in Last Minute Decides Contest|pages=6|work=The Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73531461/the-muscatine-journal-and-news-tribune/|access-date=2021-03-15|author=Paul Zimmerman|via=Newspapers.com}} It was the only points Duke allowed all season. Nave and Krueger were named MVPs and later were inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|last=Museum|first=Grace Dee May|date=2020-01-01|title=An Unlikely Hero – Doyle Nave Made Rose Bowl History|url=https://www.gracedeemay.org/post/an-unlikely-hero-doyle-nave-made-rose-bowl-history|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Grace Dee May Museum|language=en}}
He later pursued track and high jumping.{{Cite news|date=1939-03-14|title=Doyle Nave - 1939|pages=31|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35038093/doyle-nave-1939/|access-date=2021-03-15}}
Professional career
= Detroit Lions =
In 1940 Nave was drafted sixth overall by the Detroit Lions but he did not play for them.{{Cite web|title=Doyle Nave Stats - Pro Football Archives|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playern/nave00100.html|access-date=2021-03-15|website=www.profootballarchives.com}}{{Cite web |title=1940 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1940/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
= Hollywood Bears and Hawaii Polar Bears =
After being drafted by the Lions, he became the Head Coach of the Hawaii Polar Bears, a minor league team.{{Cite news|date=1940-10-15|title=Clipped From The Honolulu Advertiser|pages=8|work=The Honolulu Advertiser|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73532653/the-honolulu-advertiser/|access-date=2021-03-15}}{{Cite news|date=1940-09-12|title=NAVE HERE TO COACH|pages=10|work=The Honolulu Advertiser|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73532932/nave-here-to-coach/|access-date=2021-03-15}} He played for them and also played shortly with the Hollywood Bears.
Death
Nave died on December 10, 1990, at the age of 75.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-11-sp-6211-story.html|title=Nave Dies; USC's Hero in '39 Game|date=December 11, 1990|website=Los Angeles Times}}
Further reading
- [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-11-sp-748-story.html REMEMBERING : DOYLE NAVE : Passage of Time Doesn't Diminish Rose Bowl Heroics]
- [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73530807/the-los-angeles-times/ Clipped From The Los Angeles Times]
References
{{reflist}}
{{1939 USC Trojans football navbox}}
{{LionsFirstPick}}
{{Lions1940DraftPicks}}
{{1940 NFL Draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nave, Doyle}}
Category:USC Trojans football players
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Players of American football from Pennsylvania