SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco mourns the loss of Joseph "Scooter" Scudero, a member of the famous 1951 Dons football team. Scudero passed away on Sept. 11 after a battling cancer.
 
A native of San Francisco, Scudero attended Mission High School where he was an all-city selection. He was a member of the undefeated 1949 frosh team and lettered for the Dons in 1950 and '51 in his sophomore and junior campaigns.

A promising speedster, in his first year on the varsity team he recorded nine touchdowns, one of the greatest first-year varsity performances in Dons history. At 5'1", Scudero was one of the shortest men on the team, and one of the best receivers. In his first year he gained 361 yards on 89 carries for a 4.0 average and caught five passes for 142 yards, two of them for scores. He led the squad in punt and kickoff returns. In his most sensational games as a sophomore, he stepped over the goal line twice against Saint Mary's, and later brought a 62-yard punt return to the house for a touchdown against Loyola Marymount.

Commenting about Scooter in a 1951 pre-season Call Bulletin article, Dink Templeton wrote, "Frankly, I got more thrill out of the slashing running of little sophomore Joe Scudero than any other back all season." Highlights of his junior year included snaring five passes against San Jose State and a touchdown on a 50-yard punt return in the win over Idaho.

He was fast, quick thinking and a scrappy competitor, but had the misfortune of playing in the shadow of Dons great Ollie Matson. In a post-season Call Bulletin article, coach Kuharich said, "Scudero, at a great personal sacrifice, let Matson do most of the ball carrying. Joe is a great runner himself and… willingly and unselfishly gave way to Ollie."

When USF discontinued the football program following the historic '51 season, Scudero enrolled at the University of South Carolina. Forced to stay out of football due to eligibility rules, he decided to withdraw and return to USF where he earned his BA degree.

In 1953, he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League where he earned all-league honors. The following year, he went to the Washington Redskins and in 1955 was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. In his six-year career with the NFL including one year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Scudero gained 1,738 yards on returns.

A veteran of the USF College Players, Joe Scudero appeared in several TV and stage productions, notably on Gunsmoke and Dragnet.

Scudero is survived by his daughter Darcy, his sister Dolores and 14 of his teammates from the '51 Dons football team.