Mark Donahue

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Mark Donahue

|image=Mark Donahue (Michigan).jpg

|number=66

|position=Guard

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1956|1|29|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.

|height_ft=6

|height_in=3

|weight_lb=256

|high_school=Brother Rice {{nowrap|(Chicago, Illinois)}}

|college=Michigan

|draftyear=1978

|draftround=11

|draftpick=294

|pastteams=* Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1978|1979}})

|highlights=* Unanimous All-American (1977)

Consensus All-American (1976)
2× First-team All-Big Ten (1976, 1977)
Second-team All-Big Ten (1975)

|statlabel1=Games played

|statvalue1=31

|statlabel2=Games started

|statvalue2=6

|statlabel3=Fumble recoveries

|statvalue3=1

|pfr=DonaMa20

}}

Mark Joseph Donahue (born January 28, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1975 to 1977. He was a consensus All-American in 1976 and again in 1977, when he was also a unanimous selection. Donahue also played two seasons in the NFL for the Bengals in 1978 and 1979.

Early life

A native of Oak Lawn, Illinois, Donahue attended Brother Rice High School in the Chicago Catholic League, graduating in 1974.

University of Michigan

Donahue accepted a football scholarship to the University of Michigan and played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1975 to 1977. He was a starter on Michigan's 1975 and 1976 offensive lines that produced two games in which Michigan had three running backs each accumulated 100 rushing yards.{{Cite web |title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page |url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |url-status=dead |publisher=University of Michigan |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524051040/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |archivedate=2013-05-24}} (The two games are: October 18, 1975 vs. Northwestern - Huckleby [157], Lytle [105], Bell [100]; September 18, 1976 vs. Stanford - Huckleby [157], Davis [116], Lytle [100]) Donahue was selected as a consensus first-team offensive guard on both the 1976 and 1977 College Football All-America Teams.{{Cite web |year=2014 |title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) |page=6 |accessdate=February 10, 2015 |archive-date=November 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126094941/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/awards.pdf |url-status=dead }} He was the 13th player in Michigan football history to be twice honored as a consensus All-American and was rated by Bo Schembechler as "one of his all-time best linemen."{{Cite web |title=University of Michigan Football All-American: Mark Donahue |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aadonahu.htm |publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library |accessdate=March 11, 2015}}

Professional football

Donahue was selected in the 11th round of the 1978 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played offensive guard for the Bengals in 1978 and 1979.{{Cite web |title=Mark Donahue |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DonaMa20.htm |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |accessdate=March 11, 2015}} Donahue later recalled: "It was fun playing a couple of years with the Bengals. It was a great experience lining up against legends like Randy White of the Dallas Cowboys and Joe Greene and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The first time you're in a stance against them, you're almost too excited to hit them. You get over that real quick when you realize there is no hesitancy at all on their part on hitting you hard."

Later years and honors

In May 2011, Donahue was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame.{{Cite news |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Donahue: Former Brother Rice Standout Starred for Michigan Legend Bo Schembechler |work=Oak Lawn Patch |url=http://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/donahue-former-brother-rice-standout-starred-for-mich1940473e95 |accessdate=March 11, 2015}} In September 2012, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.{{Cite news |date=July 2012 |title=Bo Jackson, Coach Calipari, Paul Hornung, Otis Wilson To Lead Class of 2012 |publisher=Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame |url=http://chicagolandsportshalloffame.com/2012PressRelease.pdf |url-status=dead |accessdate=March 11, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402162650/http://chicagolandsportshalloffame.com/2012PressRelease.pdf |archivedate=April 2, 2015}} In September 2016, Donahue was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor. {{Cite news |date=September 7, 2016 |title=U-M Athletics to Induct Four into Hall of Honor Sept. 30 |url=http://www.mgoblue.com/news/2016/9/7/U_M_Athletics_to_Induct_Four_into_Hall_of_Honor_Sept_30.aspx |accessdate=December 23, 2017}} Donahue was named the president of his alma mater Brother Rice High School in 2018.

References

Category:1956 births

Category:Living people

Category:All-American college football players

Category:American football offensive guards

Category:Cincinnati Bengals players

Category:Michigan Wolverines football players

Category:Sportspeople from Evergreen Park, Illinois

Category:Players of American football from Cook County, Illinois