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Dan McMillan

Tackle

Inducted 1971

Date of Birth

7/29/1898

Birthplace

Springfield, MO

Schools

University of California (1920-1921)

University of Southern California (1917-1919)

Bio

In the case of Dan McMillan, one school's loss was another school's gain. A fierce blocker and tenacious tackler, McMillan had just completed two outstanding seasons at Southern Cal when World War I called him to serve his country as a pilot. While in flight school near Berkeley, McMillan met several of the California players and was impressed enough to transfer to Cal. The fabled "Wonder Teams" of coach Andy Smith had been gifted with the All-America talents that helped the Bears to dominance in the West, running a 50-game unbeaten streak until 1925. A tackle alongside Hall of Fame end Harold "Brick" Muller, McMillan gained All-America mention in 1920, the year the Bears out-scored nine opponents, 510-14, and clawed Ohio State, 28-0, in the Rose Bowl. McMillan helped Cal to another unbeaten season and Rose Bowl appearance in 1921 gaining consensus All-America recognition along the way. However, thoughts of his days at USC were ever foremost in his mind, and McMillan cited a 38-7 victory over his former teammates in 1921 as his "biggest thrill." He recovered a Trojan fumble and nearly returned it for a touchdown in that contest. McMillan played at Southern California in 1917, 1919 and at California 1920-1921.