Don Donaldson

Don Donaldson graduated from Tussey Mountain in 1963, but that was not the end of his athletic accomplishments.

He had a strong scholastic career for the Titans, which includes being a multi-year letterwinner in football, baseball, and basketball.

As a junior for the Titans, he was a starting safety for the undefeated football team of 1961. He also returned kicks and punts. He had a big interception return for a touchdown to help the Titans beat Northern Bedford as well as one in a win over Bald Eagle Area. He ran back the opening kickoff in the victory over Bellwood.

His success trickled over into basketball where he scored 353 points in 22 games for a 16 points per game average. He helped the Titans win the District 5-A championship.

In baseball, he was a three-year letterman at shortstop and pitcher.

His senior year, he was off to a great start at halfback and safety. By the third game of the year, he had already scored nine touchdowns, but he was injured soon after that and was out for the year.

The injury carried into the basketball season, but he still averaged 16.7 points in 19 games including a 43-point game against Southern Huntingdon. The team was a District 5-B runner-up, while he was an AP All-State Honorable Mention.

He continued his football career at North Carolina State, where he was a three-year starter at tight end/split end. The Wolfpack was 20-11 in his three years of starting.

In Donaldson's senior year, the Wolfpack started the year 8-0 and ranked third in the country. They finished 9-2 after beating Georgia in the Liberty Bowl, 14-7. Donaldson had a big game for N.C. State with six catches. The team was ranked seventh in the country by Sports Illustrated and in the top 20 by AP and UPI.

One of those losses that year was a game played at Penn State. The Wolfpack lost, 13-8, before a crowd of 46,497, the largest Penn State home crowd that year.

Donaldson was named All-Academic for the Atlantic Coast Conference with a B.S. degree in Recreation and Park Administration and Health and Physical Education.

He came back to Pennsylvania and got a teaching job at James Buchanan High School and taught health and physical education until 1977. He helped coach football for the Rockets and played semi-pro football with the Chambersburg Cardinals. He helped the Cardinals win an Interstate Football League title.

Donaldson left James Buchanan for his alma mater Tussey Mountain, where he was a health and physical education teacher, elementary guidance counselor, and currently the senior high guidance counselor.

He coached football for two years from 1977 and 1978 before taking the reigns back in 1987. In 1987, he was named the I.C.C. Coach of the Year as the Titans were District 5-AA runners-up. They won the District 5-A title in 1988. He finished his football coaching career with a 29-48-2 record.

Donaldson also coached softball for 21 years, accumulating a record of 235-180.

He has been well-known in the area for his basketball officiating as well. He has officiated for 40 years, including two state final games.

He is married to Mary Jo, and they have two children: Joseph and Amber Jo.

In addition to working for the school, he has also been a seasonal park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake for the last 28 years.

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Class of 2009
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2009
Class of 2009

Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame