Donald Lewis Elser (August 4, 1913 – October 18, 1968) was an American professional basketball and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets during the 1941–42 season and averaged 4.5 points per game. Elser also played for the Boston Shamrocks in the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

(sometimes known as "AFL II"). While at Notre Dame, Elser was selected to play in the 1936

Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the C ...

. Elser was also a standout track and field athlete in college. He finished in second place (behind Olympian

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...

) in the 220-yard

low hurdles Low hurdle races are a generally defunct form of track and field hurdle racing. The event, generally run at or near a distance of 200 metres, was popular through 1960 at the international level. After that, the IAAF stopped ratifying records in ...

at the 1936 NCAA Track and Field Championships. He also finished fifth in the

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

, earning All-American status in both events.

References

1913 births 1968 deaths American men's basketball players United States Navy personnel of World War II Basketball players from Gary, Indiana Benedictine Ravens football coaches Boston Shamrocks (AFL) players Centers (basketball) College football officials College men's basketball referees in the United States Forwards (basketball) Players of American football from Gary, Indiana Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's track and field athletes Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana Toledo Jim White Chevrolets players {{1910s-US-basketball-bio-stub