GUS DORAIS: Gridiron Innovator, All-American and Hall of Fame Coach
Charles “Gus” Dorais (1891-1954) was the quarterback of Notre Dame’s “Dorais to Rockne” tandem that revolutionized football’s forward pass. A triple threat prep star from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Dorais was a captain and undefeated four-year starter at Notre Dame, and the school’s first consensus All-American in 1913
Over the next four decades, Dorais was a professional player in the pre-NFL days and a college football coach—notably at the University of Detroit—and then head coach of the Detroit Lions. During his career, he tallied more than 150 wins. A pioneer of offensive strategies, Dorais played with and coached against most of the prominent football legends of this time.
Reviews:
"... It is a story researched and told lovingly, one that helps provide immense context and understanding not just of Dorais' life and competitive fire but of Notre Dame's rise as a power and the foundation of American football itself. The game today, of course, is the forward pass. With his then-unique throwing style, Gus Dorais was the pioneer who pointed the way and thus defined the pass. His story is the game's story. With a timing that meant everything." -- Roland Lazenby - American sports biographer and educator. Latest book, Michael Jordan: The Life 2018
"This book tells the unknown story of one of football's early pioneers - Gus Dorais. From his humble beginnings, to his influence on the sport as a player, scout and coach, this well-researched and well written account of Dorais' life will fascinate readers. The combination of Joe Niese and Bob Dorais have told the story of a football lifer that is long overdue." -- Chris Willis, Head of Research Library, NFL Films
"As teammates at Notre Dame, Gus Dorais and Knute Rockne changed how the game of football was played. Great friends and coaching colleagues, they shared a passion for the game and what it could achieve as a means of molding young lives. They influenced so many under their tutelage, helping cement the best elements of football as a staple in American life and culture. It's an enduring legacy that has positive effects still felt today. Joe Niese and Bob Dorais have done a remarkable job of capturing the life and importance of Rock's cherished pal." -- Jim Lefebvre, Notre Dame football scholar & award-winning author: Coach For A Nation: The Life and Times of Knute Rockne
2018 Finalist Award from American Book Fest