Donald Francis Penza (February 4, 1932 – April 8, 1989) was an American football player, coach, and politician.

Playing career

Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Penza attended St. Catherine's High School and was a graduate of the class of 1950. He was three-year football letterman. He went on to study at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

, where he captained the

1953 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yugoslav ...

. Legendary coach

Frank Leahy Francis William Leahy (August 27, 1908 – June 21, 1973) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Boston College from 1939 to 1940 and at ...

called him "the best captain I’ve ever had.” He was also a member of the

1953 College Football All-America Team The 1953 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1953. The eight selectors recognized by the ...

. From 1954 to 1956, he served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

as company commander with the rank of First Lieutenant and played for the football for the Quantico Devil Dogs. In the

1954 NFL Draft The 1954 National Football League Draft was held on January 28, 1954, at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. This was the eighth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery. With the previous seven winners i ...

, he was the taken as the 211th pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers but only played in two exhibitions before a knee injury ended his pro career.

Coaching and political career

He went on to coach football at

Assumption High School (Wisconsin) Assumption High School is a Roman Catholic high school in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Diocese of La Crosse. Assumption was established in 1951. It is the only high school in the Wisconsin Rapids Area Ca ...

from 1957 to 1967, where he compiled a 68–18–2 record that included five conference titles. He retired at age 35 to enter politics. In 1968, he was elected Mayor of

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Wisconsin Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Wisconsin. The population was 18,877 at the 2020 census. The city also forms one of the core areas of the United States Census Bureau's Marshfield-Wisconsin Rapids Micropolit ...

, a position he held until 1978. In 1981, he returned to coaching and was hired as the head football coach of

Marian Central Catholic High School Marian Central Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Woodstock, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. Athletics Marian has won the following state team championships: girls v ...

. He guided the Hurricanes to three Class 2A state football championships with a record of over eight seasons. He died in

Woodstock, Illinois Woodstock is a city in (and the county seat of) McHenry County, Illinois, McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 45 miles northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outer-most suburbs. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

, on April 8, 1989, at the age of 57.

Awards and honors

* 1953 United Press International second-team All-American * 1972 Wisconsin Rapids Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year award *1985 Courier-News Coach of the Year * 1990 inducted into Illinois High School Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame * 1999 inducted into St. Catherine's High School's Athletic Hall of Fame * 2000 inducted into Marian Central High School's Hall of Fame * 2002 inducted into Assumption High School's Hall of Fame

References

1932 births 1989 deaths University of Notre Dame alumni Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players High school football coaches in Wisconsin High school football coaches in Illinois {{Amfoot-bio-stub