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Artie Donovan '43, aka the "Bulldog," came to the Mount from nearby St. Phillip Neri. He was the son of a famous boxing referee of the same name. His years at the Mount coincided with some of the school's finest years in athletics. Artie participated in football, baseball and track, while also actively participating in the Mount's Sodality.
Upon graduation from the Mount, Artie served his country as a U.S.Marine during WWII, then went on to continue his education and football career at Boston College. Artie played for three NFL teams, but is most famous for his career as a defensive lineman with the Baltimore Colts. The Colts' title teams of 1958 and 1959 were considered to be among pro football's best ever teams.
They featured a defensive line that made the offense quake. Donovan was one of these linemen, along with Gino Marchetti, Don Joyce and Big Daddy Lipscomb.
As great as Donovan was on the field, many in and outside the sport feel that his greatest virtue was building morale. This is because Artie's quick wit and candor is almost as legendary as his playing. Indeed he was voted Most Popular in his senior class!
Art also "brightened many a dull day by his wit during the lunch period." After his career in football, Art became a consummate television and radio personality, and has been a sought after speaker for engagements and events throughout the country.
William"Zeke" O'Connor. '44, arrived at the Mount from Holy Family in the Bronx, just a year after Art Donovan. Zeke was recognized by his coaches and his classmates alike as "one of the finest all around athletes to play for the Mount" and was voted the Mount's most valuable end in 1942 and 1943.
Zeke received a coveted Notre Dame scholarship in 1944. Zeke followed in the footsteps of Coach Howie Smith, playing for Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy. Both Leahy and Smith were coached by the immortal Knute Rockne. He continued his professional career with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills as an end, before taking his talents across the border to the Canadian Football League, The Toronto Argonauts.
The Mount experience will always be a part of Zeke. "I think of The Mount often. As I near my 85th Birthday, I think of the Brothers who really cared about how we managed our education first and sports second. I remember Brother Luke and Latin, and Brother Norbert and Geometry." Continues Zeke, "I also think of my teammates and of Coach Howie Smith and the positive impact he had on me then and all through my life."
When Zeke left professional sports, he claimed success in the world of business as a public relations executive at Sears in Canada. During those years, Zeke was inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary's mission to help improve the lives of the Nepalese. Hillary became close to the people of Nepal when he and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay became the first documented climbers to summit Mt. Everest in 1953. Zeke founded the Canadian Chapter of the Sir Edmund Hillary Society, a thriving organization that helps build hospitals and schools for the Sherpa people.
Vince Promuto '56 came to the Mount from PS 71 in Pelham Bay. Brother John '56, likes to say that the Mount "had to take the public school out of Vince." Vince himself remembers that his mischief led to a life-changing opportunity: He was given
the choice of joining the football team to learn discipline, teamwork and to gain the ability to get along with his fellow students-or look for another school! Vince remembers "I was kind of a crazy kid.
The brothers made me understand I wasn't gonna be a tough guy and get an education. I thought I could outwit the brothers, but they outwitted me. In spite of myself they got me to graduate. I started off with a leather jacket and ended up with a suit and tie. I learned how to use my intellect, which carried me through my college, my career and law school."
The Marist strategy worked, and started what was to become an illustrious career in the NFL. By the time he was a senior, Vince, a defensive tackle, was known by his classmates as an "integral part of the football squad;" popular with his fellow students and will long be remembered for his school spirit, loyalty and sincerity."
After graduating from Holy Cross, where he was a standout varsity football player for all four years, Vince had a distinguished career with the Washington Redskins. Over the course of 11 years, Vince played 130 games for the Redskins. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1963 and 1964, and is a member of the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame. Vince was coached by the great Vince Lombardi.
Bill Polian '60, is the President of the Indianapolis Colts. Polian, who came to Mt. St.Michael from Our Lady of Mercy in the Bronx, played as a defensive back. His NFL career started with the Buffalo Bills in 1986, where he built a team that went to four straight Super Bowls. He left Buffalo in 1993 to take over the expansion Carolina Panthers, and was credited with developing the most successful expansion team in NFL history.
In 1997, Polian was tapped by the Indianapolis Colts to rebuild a struggling team. Polian's well-regarded draft acumen drove the Colts to what is considered one of the greatest turnarounds ever of a football team. In 1999 the Colts went 13-3, tying a franchise record for most wins in a season, and won the AFC East. Although Peyton Manning was Polian's most notable draft selection, Polian has also developed a talent for spotting and signing undrafted or waived rookies such as Jeff Saturday, Dominic Rhodes, Terrence Wilkins, Raheem Brock and Melvin Bullitt.
From 2001 to 2010, the Colts won at least 10 games in each of the last nine seasons, went to two Superbowls and won one Superbowl in 2007. He has won the NFL's Executive of the Year award 6 times. Though Bill has worked with many famous athletes, some of his strongest relationships were formed at the Mount: "Joe Tricario, Al Kull, Howie and Brother Patrick Magee are among the finest people I have encountered in my life."
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Mount St.Michael will get a healthy dose of National Football League (NFL) spirit in this 
