Pete Bonner

American football player (1894–1972)
Pete Bonner
Bonner pictured in the Glomerata 1917, Auburn yearbook
Auburn Tigers
PositionGuard/Tackle
ClassGraduate
Personal information
Born:(1894-09-24)September 24, 1894
Clay County, Alabama
Died:December 1, 1972(1972-12-01) (aged 78)
Ashland, Alabama
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight183 lb (83 kg)
Career history
CollegeAuburn (1916–1919)
Career highlights and awards

Madison LeRoy "Pete" Bonner (September 24, 1894 – December 1, 1972)[1] was a college football player.

Auburn University

Bonner was a prominent tackle for Mike Donahue's Auburn Tigers of Auburn University from 1916 to 1919. He was a member of an All-time Auburn Tigers football team selected in 1935,[2] as well as coach Donahue's all-time Auburn team.[3] He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team.[4]

1917

Bonner was an All-Southern tackle in 1917.

1919

He led the team to the SIAA championship of 1919 with an 8–1 record.[5] His brother Thomas Herbert "Herb" Bonner also attended Auburn and played on the football team.[6]

Zelda Sayre sent him a telegram after the defeat of Georgia Tech for the SIAA championship, it read:[7]

"Shooting a seven, aren’t we awfully proud of the boys, give them my love—knew we could."

She signed it "Zelder Sayre." One account of Bonner's play that day reads, "The Jackets were unable to gain through the Auburn line because of Pete Bonner, giant tackle, who seemed to have a knack of being just where he should have for the best interests of his team."[8]

Death

He died at the age of 78 in 1972.[9]

References

  1. ^ "FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Tulane University Football Program-The Greenie; Auburn vs. Tulane". Archived from the original on 2014-12-23.
  3. ^ "Mike Donahue Names All-Time Auburn Football Team". The Tuscaloosa News. January 10, 1933.
  4. ^ "U-T Greats On All-Time Southeast Team". Kingsport Post. July 31, 1969.
  5. ^ Ernie Couch (30 July 2001). SEC Football Trivia. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9781418571788.
  6. ^ "The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia on September 12, 1920 · Page 5". 12 September 1920.
  7. ^ Jeremy Henderson (October 27, 2014). "Zelda Fitzgerald, Auburn fan".
  8. ^ "Jackets Hold Stiff Drills". The Evening Independent. October 17, 1925. p. 30.
  9. ^ "FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
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† = Unanimous selection