Art Donovan, Former Baltimore Colt, Dies At 89

Art Donovan, one of the most popular football players ever to play in Baltimore, died Aug. 4 at the age of 89.

Donovan’s father was a famous boxing referee (who also had the same name), and his son grew into one of the NFL’s top defensive linemen during the 1950s and played a big role in helping the Baltimore Colts win back-to-back league titles in 1958 and 1959. He earned All-NFL honors five straight seasons, from 1954-1958, and played in five consecutive Pro Bowls — even though his pro career didn’t begin until Donovan was 26 because of military duty.

“We lost a friend, one of the finest men and one of the greatest characters we were fortunate to meet in this community and in this business,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement.

“Baltimore is now without one of its best and someone who was a foundation for the tremendous popularity of football in our area. The world is not as bright tonight because we lost someone who could make us all smile.”

Donovan became the first Colt picked for the Hall of Fame. He played with Gino Marchetti, the defensive end who also earned Hall of Fame honors. They had players such as Big Daddy Lipscomb with them and became one of the NFL’s toughest defenses. That defense, combining with quarterback Johnny Unitas (also in the Hall of Fame) and others, was a big reason the Colts were tough for many years.

But Donovan became even more famous after his playing career ended in 1962 and grew into a legend in the Baltimore area — and was well known nationally because of his sense of humor.

NFL players often get on nightly talk shows to discuss the Super Bowl or some kind of big-time issue. But Donovan often appeared with people such as David Letterman and Johnny Carson to spin some of his hysterical stories.

He told stories of the chicken-eating contest, the way certain players liked to party, and everyone would laugh. Donovan had a knack for telling stories — funny stories — in a funny way. He became a great speaker and often showed up in various ways on television.

His self-deprecating humor also was a plus. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Donovan simply used the nickname his Colts teammates gave him for the title of a book he wrote — “Fatso.”

He owned the Valley Country Club in Towson and often appeared on TV and in the area as a speaker.

Posted Aug. 4, 2013

Jeff Seidel

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