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Today in Patriots History
Don McKinnon
Don McKinnon
In memory of Don McKinnon, who would have turned 85 today
Born August 28, 1941 in Arlington, Mass.
Died January 25, 2015 at the age of 73 in Wakefield, Rhode Island
Patriots linebacker/center, 1963-1964; uniform #51
Pats 10th round (79th overall) selection of the 1963 draft, from Dartmouth
Pats résumé: two seasons, 17 games, plus two postseason games
Like many Boston Patriots, Don McKinnon was a local guy. He grew up in Arlington, went to Matignon High School in Cambridge, then went up to Hanover, New Hampshire for college at Dartmouth. Don played in all 14 regular season and two playoff games in his rookie 1963 season, then three more games in '64.
At some point Don McKinnon switched from 52 to 51, or was it 51 to 52?
For some reason this 1964 Topps football card has him with the wrong jersey number
Don McKinnon, 73 | Block Island Times
At Dartmouth, the soft spoken, likable recruit studied sociology and helped lead the ’62 football squad to the Ivy League championship as team captain and an All-American center on the Big Green’s offensive line. It wasn’t easy; McKinnon came off a severe injury - two ruptured tendons and a broken bone in his ankle - to lead Dartmouth to its first undefeated season in almost 40 years.
“Tackled by McKinnon” sounded like a tape recording at most Dartmouth games. On big plays, he routinely shed blockers and made tackles for losses. Besides selection to the All-America national collegiate football team, he was named to the All-East, All-Ivy and All-New England teams. What’s more, he won the George H. “Bulger” Lowe Award as the best Division I college football player in New England.
The pros were calling, and the “Big D” as he was known, was drafted by the New York Giants and the Boston Patriots. He signed with his hometown Patriots. As a 22-year old rookie, McKinnon beat out veteran linebackers and played in 17 games over the 1963-1964 seasons before being hobbled by injuries. He fractured his hip during training camp but continued to play. “He’ll be a great one,” predicted Patriots Coach Mike Holovak. But it wasn’t to be. Leg injuries cut short what many expected to be a Hall of Fame career.
After leaving the Patriots, Don acquired a stockbroker’s license. He started his new career with Wainwright & Co in Boston. He wed Nancy Hailer, a Lesley College graduate and budding professional model. They soon found themselves in Manhattan, where Don took an executive position with Becker Paribas heading its trading, convertible and over-the-counter desks. He then moved to Moseley Hallgarten & Estabrook where he served as vice president and sat on the board of directors. From there, he rose to Executive Director of Nomura Securities International’s equities division in New York. He headed American stock trading for the Japanese giant, traveling often to Tokyo before retiring in the mid-1990s.
In retirement, McKinnon dabbled in films, playing minor roles in acclaimed Hollywood director Wes Anderson’s movies, “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic.” He appeared with stars such as Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Owen and Luke Wilson. The famous Wilson brothers’ father, Bobby Wilson, was Don’s longtime friend from Dartmouth.
Don McKinnon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College - Pro Football Archives
Checkout the most complete stats available online for Don McKinnon. Get info about his position, height, weight, college, transactions and more at Pro Football Archives.
www.profootballarchives.com
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