Pat Donovan (American football)

Patrick Emery Donovan (born July 1, 1953) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League was spent with the Dallas Cowboys (1975-1983). In 1975 Donovan was one of the "Dirty Dozen" of rookies who helped the Cowboys to Super Bowl X. Donovan became a starter at left tackle in 1978. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, attending the game in 1979 through 1982. Sports Illustrated named him the 4th greatest Montana athlete of the 20th century.

Early years
Pat Donovan is considered to be one of the greatest athletes in the history of the state of Montana.

While attending Class A Helena Central High School as a freshman and sophomore, he lettered in football, basketball and track and field, winning the state shot put title as a sophomore.

After Helena Central closed, Donovan attended Class AA Helena High School, continuing to excel in track and field at the Class AA level, winning the shot put and discus competitions at the state meet in both his junior and senior seasons. He also was fast enough to anchored the Helena 880-yard relay team to a state championship as a senior. He graduated as the holder of three school records in the shot put, discus and Javelin competitions.

Donovan also lead Helena to the state championship basketball game as a junior and senior, losing to Kalispell in 1970 and winning against Billings West in 1971. He was named all tournament both years.

He went on to earn All-State honors on both offense and defense in football, was an All-State basketball player and won six first place medals at state track meets.

In 1994 he was inducted into the Montana High School Association Hall of Fame.

College career
After leaving Helena High School, he signed a football scholarship to play at Stanford University.

He was named the right defensive end starter during his sophomore campaign and by the time he was a junior, he posted 109 tackles and was selected to the 1973 Consensus All-America team and to the 1973 College Football All-America Team.

As a senior, he was again selected to the 1974 Consensus All-America team and to the 1974 College Football All-America Team, becoming one of few two-time All Americans.

He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame and was also named to the Stanford's All-Century football team.

Professional career
Donovan was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft as a defensive end.

Donovan was one of 12 drafted rookies who made the team that year - hence the "Dirty Dozen" nickname for the Cowboys 1975 draft, that helped the team reach Super Bowl X. The "Dirty Dozen" rookie class, didn't even include linebacker Mike Hegman, who was drafted that year but did not arrive until 1976. Or rookie free agent quarterback Jim Zorn who made the team, but was later cut, to make room for running back Preston Pearson, who had just been released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1975, the Cowboys needed help at offensive tackle and like defensive tackle Blaine Nye a few years before him, he was switched to the offensive line. Donovan gained more weight and saw action at both left and right tackle.

After being a reserve for his first two seasons, he took over the right tackle job in 1977 when Rayfield Wright went down with an injury and helped the team win Super Bowl XII. He moved to left tackle when Ralph Neely retired and Rayfield Wright came back in 1978.

Donovan emerged as one of the top offensive tackles in the NFL during the late 1970s and early 1980s and together with Herb Scott formed one of the best left-side tandems in the league.

During his time with the Cowboys, center John Fitzgerald nicknamed the Cowboys offensive line as the "Four Irishmen and a Scott", when it was formed by Donovan, Fitzgerald, Jim Cooper, Tom Rafferty and Herb Scott. That group helped paved the way for Tony Dorsett's Hall of Fame rushing career.

Donovan was a catalyst on the Cowboys offensive line and a four-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman from 1979 to 1982. He remains one of just four offensive tackles in club history to make at least four Pro Bowls, joining Rayfield Wright (six), Flozell Adams (five) and Erik Williams (four).

Donovan hadn't suffered many major injuries for his entire career before the 1983 season. After the season, because of the accumulation of wear and tear, he ended up needing surgery to repair both shoulders and decided to retired.

The Cowboys lost some big names after the 1983 season with the retirement of Donovan, Harvey Martin, Drew Pearson and Billy Joe DuPree.

Never missing a game, Donovan played in 9 seasons, 20 playoff games, including six NFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls, earning a title ring in Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos.

He is considered to be one of the greatest offensive tackles in the Cowboys franchise history.