As a part of our month-long series honoring black athletes who played on the Hilltop, today we are highlighting the legendary story of the '51 Dons. 

Under the guidance of head coach Joe Kuharich, the 1951 Dons posted a 9-0-0 regular season record, becoming the only football team in school history to go undefeated. The squad featured eight NFL players, including Pro Football Hall of Fame members in Matson, Gino Marchetti and Bob St. Clair. Five of the eight players earned Pro Bowl selections at some point in their careers.

The Dons' defense held opponents to a net rushing average of 51.6 yards per game while Matson led the nation in rushing with 1,566 yards, collecting touchdown runs of 94, 90, 68, 67, 54, 53, 46 and 45 yards. He was also won a bronze medal in the 400-meters and a silver medal as part of the United States' 4x400 meter relay team at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland.

The team's success culminated in an invitation to a bowl game - what every college football team strives for in post-season. However, the Dons chose not to accept their first-ever bowl bid under the condition the team played without its two African-American players, Ollie Matson and Burl Toler. In their refusal of participating without their entire squad, including Matson and Toler, the Dons set into motion a conversation of racial equality not only in sports, but off the field as well. 

While the team's season ended with one decision, the story of the '51 Dons is perhaps the single greatest symbolic victory in the history of college football and is why the University awarded an honorary doctorate to the team in 2005. The team was collectively inducted into the USF Hall of Fame in 2009.
 
Toler, whose playing career was cut short after he suffered a devastating knee injury in the 1952 College All-Star Game, became the first African-American official in NFL history and enjoyed a 25-year officiating career as a field judge and head linesman. Kuharich, who served as USF's head coach from 1948-51, coached four seasons at Notre Dame (1959-62) and held NFL head coaching positions with the Chicago Cardinals, Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles. The team's publicist, Pete Rozelle, served as the commissioner of the NFL for 29 years.
 
The University discontinued football at USF following the 1951 season due to financial reasons. It was brought back as a Division II program in 1965 but was dropped again following the 1971 season.

Although the '51 Dons will never have a chance to know what could have been in their post-season, their story lives on more than any game they could have won or lost. It's more valuable than a national championship even. Their tale is one that transcends game-winning plays, controversial calls, underdog stories, cinderella teams and dynasties alike. No matter what might have happened in the bowl game, USF created an everlasting legacy of blazing the trail for civil rights and equality, even in the face of hate. Ten times over, that is worth more than a trophy or title. 

We honor the '51 Dons for their courage. We are honoring the '51 Dons because as a unit, they deliberately put their fight against racism above any athletic accomplishments. We are honoring the '51 Dons because they were transformed from football players to exceptional leaders in a global and political conversation that is ongoing. We honoring the '51 Dons in the hopes that our former and current athletes will appreciate their championing of the black athlete and the struggle for equality. 

Honor Over Glory: 1951 USF Dons Football | Watch ESPN Trailer Here