Don Bunce

Don Bunce (January 17, 1949 – April 15, 2003) was an American football quarterback and orthopedic surgeon.

Collegiate career

Bunce was a graduate of Woodside High School, then attended Stanford University, where he played behind Jim Plunkett. After Plunkett graduated in 1971, Bunce became the starting quarterback and led the Indians to the Pac-8 championship and a spot in the 1972 Rose Bowl against unbeaten Michigan. Stanford trailed Michigan with 1:48 left, but Bunce completed five of six passes on a last-minute drive to set up a field goal and Stanford's 13-12 victory. Bunce was named Rose Bowl most valuable player. He was also awarded the 1971 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast.

Professional career

In the 1972 NFL Draft, Bunce was selected in the 12th round by the Washington Redskins, but he opted to join the Canadian Football League, where he played one season with the British Columbia Lions. Bunce then left football and attended Stanford Medical School, where he received a medical degree in 1977 and went on to start a successful practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Palo Alto. He also served as team doctor for Stanford's football team from 1982 to 1992.

Bunce died of a heart attack at the age of 54 near Santa Cruz, California.^[1]

References