Tom Donchez, a Founder of Penn State's Football Letterman's Club, Dies at 72

Donchez played for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s and helped create the Letterman's Club.

A general view of a Penn State University sign outside of Beaver Stadium. / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Donchez, the former Penn State football player who was a founding member of the Penn State Football Letterman's Club, died Aug. 28. He was 72.

Donchez played fullback for Penn State from 1970-74, rushing for 1,422 career yards. He led the Nittany Lions with 880 yards in rushing in 1974, when he had four 100-yard games. Donchez played in the backfield in 1973 with Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti, as the Nittany Lions went 12-0 and finished fifth in the country. Donchez scored three touchdowns in Penn State's 35-16 win over Ohio in 1974, which marked the program's milestone 500th victory.

After a brief NFL career, Donchez returned home to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and worked at Air Products for 35 years. In 1980, he was part of a group of former Penn State football players who founded the Letterman's Club, an organization that continues to connect Nittany Lions after their playing careers. Former Penn State quarterback Wally Richardson is director of the Letterman's Club.

“He grew up without a dad, so when he got to Penn State his mother went to Joe Paterno and asked him if he would help her raise Tom because he didn’t have a father,” Sheela Donchez, Tom's wife, told The Morning Call of Allentown. "She said he may need some looking after, and Joe took that to heart and became a great friend of Tom’s mother, Helen. He was there for five seasons because he took a redshirt year. Joe was his guide and mentor and became a very good friend. So Penn State football was a really important time in his life and remained important after he left.”

Read more about Tom Donchez.

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