Tightwad Hill

50 GREATEST GOLDEN BEARS - #35 - DAN McMILLAN

#35 - DAN McMILLAN - TACKLE (1920-1921)
It's a safe bet that Dan McMillan will be the only member of the 50 Greatest Golden Bears to have actually played at USC. Yes, McMillan matriculated to Southern Cal out of Manual Arts HS in Los Angeles, and played two seasons for the Trojans in 1917 and 1919. But with WWI raging, McMillan was drafted and trained as a military pilot in the Bay Area. During this training, he met a number of Cal players, and liked them well enough to transfer to Berkeley in 1920.

In those days transfers did not need to sit out a year, so McMillan stepped right into the starting lineup of Cal's most dominant team in school history. He played tackle next to All-American end Harold "Brick" Muller, and he shined as both a run blocker and tackler. The "Wonder Team" of 1920 outscored opponents 510-14 and won the Rose Bowl over Ohio State 28-0. McMillan returned for his senior year in 1921 and won second-team All-America honors for the second consecutive season.

In addition to his heroics on the gridiron, McMillan captained and rowed stroke for Cal's dominant crew team in 1921. As a tribute to his greatness, he is one of 15 California players enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Dan McMillan died on October 22, 1975 at the age of 77.

posted by Tightwad @ 9:00 AM