Mention the word football in Youngstown, Ohio, and Bob Dove's
name will usually be one of the first people associated with the
sport mentioned. One of the most recognizable names in the Valley,
Dove is often referred to as the best football player ever to come
out of the area.
In 2000, Dove was honored with then Notre Dame head football
coach Bob Davie as the Penguin Club Men of the Year.
In December 2000, Dove earned another honor as he was inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame at the National Football
Foundation's 43rd Annual Awards Dinner. He is the first former
player to be chosen by the Honors Review Committee, which reviews
players who played more than 50 years ago. The induction ceremony
was held in August 2001 at the College Football Hall of Fame in
South Bend, Ind.
One of only two men to serve under four of the five head Penguin
football coaches, Dove has received many honors over the years,
both as an athlete/coach and private citizen.
"Dover", as he is so familiarly referred to by his many friends,
is a Youngstown native who wanted to return to the town he has
loved for over 70 years, becoming a part of the Youngstown State
scene in 1969 when named as an assistant football coach under
legendary mentor Dwight "Dike" Beede.
When Beede retired in 1972, Ray Dempsey was named to the helm
and one of his first appointments was to retain the services of
Dove.
When Dempsey left for the Detroit Lions of the National Football
League after the 1974 season (he led the Penguins to their very
first post-season play-off appearance in 1974), Bill Narduzzi was
named to the head job and he too sought to retain the services of
Dove, as did current head grid mentor Jim Tressel in 1986.
It all started in the 30's when Dove played with the Duffy
Midgets, a team of youngsters from the Fosterville section of
Youngstown, sponsored by the late Joe Duffy, a local sports fan who
in his own right was one of the area's finest baseball umpires on
both sandlot and in organized ball circles.
From the "Midgets" it was on to South High School where he
started as an end on the late "Busty" Ashbaugh's 1936-37-38
football teams.
In 1938 he was picked as an end on The Vindicator All-City
football team, mainly for his outstanding defensive play.
After finishing high school, Dove entered the University of
Notre Dame.
As a gridiron start at Notre Dame, he was picked as an
All-America end by the All-America Board which was a group of
college coaches from the then 48 states, by the International News
Service and by the United Press. He repeated in 1942 on the
All-America Board and the United Press teams.
The next two years were spent in military service which included
playing with the El Toro Marines, a rugged service team on the West
Coast (he was a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve). After World
War II, he began his pro career with the Chicago Rockets in the
newly formed All-American Football Conference.
In 1948, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of the National
Football League and played there five years during which the team
won two NFL championships.
In 1953, he was traded to the Detroit Lions and played on their
1953 and 1954 championship teams. He retired as an active player in
1955.
He then served as an assistant coach at the University of
Detroit from 1955 until 1957, returning to the pro ranks as an
assistant coach for the Lions in 1958-59.
When the American Football League was formed in 1960, Dove went
from the Lions to the Buffalo Bills where for two years he was
responsible for the offensive and defensive lines.
On July 1, 1962, Dove took over at Hiram College as head
football coach and assistant professor of physical education.
He came to the Penguins in 1969, the same year that he was
selected to the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame.
"I've had a love affair with the area all my life," Dove added.
"I've been fortunate enough to see many people from all walks of
life, and quite frankly, none are bonded together as strong as
those from our area."
Dover was named as the Penguin Club "Man of the Year" in 1984,
and since his retirement, has continued to work with the athletics
department in several capacities.
He was named to the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
