Cyclone Jim Doran: Iowa Time Machine October 29, 1949

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 29, 1949, Iowa State’s Jim Doran set the (then) NCAA record for receiving yards in a game when he pulled in eight passes for 203 yards against third-ranked Oklahoma. A two-way star for the Cyclones, Doran went on to an eight-year NFL career with the Detroit Lions.

While attending Beaver High School, Doran starred in baseball and basketball. The school didn’t have a football team, but the future NFL wide receiver’s athletic ability shone through. He once scored 36 of Beaver’s 38 points in a basketball game. On the baseball diamond, Doran once swatted three home runs in a game while switch-hitting, blasting two from the right side before hammering another out from the left side of the dish.

After a stint in the Navy during World War II, Doran first played football as a freshman at Buena Vista College. Transferring to Iowa State in 1947, he played football and ran track. Helping Iowa State to the team’s first winning season in 14 years in 1949, Doran captured All-Big Seven honors while breaking the league receiving record by over 200 yards. In 1950, his 652 yards on 42 receptions and six touchdowns as a senior earned him first-team All-American and All-Big Seven honors. He was the Cyclone's only All-American in football over two decades.

Selected by the Detroit Lions in the 1951 draft, Doran went on to play both offense and defense as a rookie. Doran helped the Lions succeed, earning MVP honors on the team that captured the 1952 NFL Championship. In the 1953 NFL Championship Game, Doran caught a 33-yard touchdown pass to capture a 17–16 victory dramatically. #Iowa #OTD #History #CollegeFootball #NFL