Class of 2008
Don McKeta

The University of Washington is a long way from Wood, Pa. located in the very northeast corner of Bedford County, but Don McKeta found a way to get there.

McKeta went to Robertsdale High School, now a part of the Tussey Mountain School District, where he played football for the legendary football coach G.W. "Gus" Troy for three years.

After graduation in 1951, Don enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served four years. While in the Navy Don played football and in 1956 he made the All-Service team.

After his Navy service, McKeta played football in junior college. While there he was spotted on a game film by Washington University head football coach Jim Owens. Owens signed McKeta to play for the Huskies in 1958.

Don lettered three years as a running back with the Huskies and won the Flaherty Inspiration Award in 1959 and 1960.

McKeta was labeled a "complete football player, a devastating combination of speed, toughness, and pure athleticism" which was hard to teach. Don related in later years his upbringing in Broad Top helped to contribute to his demeanor on the playing field. Robertsdale High School was a small powerhouse in Don's high school days and Coach Troy was a demanding coach who expected his players to perform to the best of their abilities.

As a junior McKeta was the captain of the Huskies that beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl 44-8 and finished the season 10-1.

The 1960 football season will go down in history as one of the greatest ever for the University of Washington and surely one that McKeta will never forget.

McKeta was a senior and again the captain of the team. Washington lost to Navy in the third game 15-14. McKeta made two key plays in game six and game eight that he will ever be remembered for. He caught a 47-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes of a 7-6 win over Oregon and two games later he caught a two-point conversion to edge Washington State 8-7.

The catch against Oregon has been highlighted several times on national television as the Huskies announcer at the time was Keith Jackson, who has been one of the top college announcers on national television for the last half century.

In the Rose Bowl Washington played Minnesota (10-0) who was the A.P. National Champion. Washington defeated Minnesota 17-7 and was voted the National Championship by the Helms Foundation who picked their national champion after the bowl games.

McKeta was drafted by the New York Giants, but turned down a $9,500 contract to sign a $12,000 contract with Saskatchewan of the Canadian League. He played one year before a back injury ended his career.

Honors Won
• 1960 Seattle Sports Man of the Year
• Selected for the Senior Bowl and the All-American Bowl all-star games
• Inducted into the Washington Husky Football Hall of Fame
   twice-once as a player and the other as a member of the 1960 football
   team
• Named to the 100 Year All-Time Husky Team by the Tacoma Tribune
• Member of the National Football Collegiate Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in May, 2000.

Don and his wife Joni live in the Seattle area where he retired from public relations and marketing for J.R. Abbott Construction Company.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2008

Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame