Don Bunce, just because

[mbunce]

I was doing a Google search of my dad's name and this string of posts came up. I signed up to the CARDboard so that I could reply and say thank you for the kind words and memories of my dad, Don, and my mom, Diana. My brother and I think about them every day and feel appreciative that there are people that also remember them fondly.

[garvin]

So, so happy you stopped by say hello. Come back anytime. It's a thrill to see someone named Bunce logging in here.

[stanfan]

Hi M Bunce:  You won't remember me, but I met you and your brother when you were little tykes.  I was a fraternity brother of your Dad (a couple of years ahead of him), and knew your spectacularly beautiful (both inside and out) Mom Diana Carter Bunce as well.  Your parents were wonderful people.  I think of Bopper often...we toasted him at the Rose Bowl this year, knowing that he was watching the game because he led us to Stanford's last Rose Bowl win...and miss him a great deal.  You and your brother should stop by the Delt tailgate in the Grove before  a game this fall.  Many of your Mom and Dad's Stanford friends are always there.  Stanfan

[Publius]

Wow oh wow oh wow.  This thread is the best example of why I find the CARDboard to be the most amazing corner of the World Wide Web.  I was born shortly after that Rose Bowl, and for many years I thought I would not live to see Stanford win another Rose Bowl.  It's good to know that Don Bunce and his wife even more terrific people off the field as he was on the field.  mbunce, if you have stories, you are willing to share about your parents, you probably won't find a more receptive audience anywhere else.

On another note, this made me realize the auto-correct's most important benefit.  We don't have to worry about Idiotface's kids or grandkids stumbling upon the nasty things we say about him.

[mbunce]

Thank you guys for your replies. I will try to stop by the Delt tailgate this fall to say hi. Which gate is it located by? I'm not sure I can get my brother there with me. He's getting his MBA at UCLA and studying abroad this Fall in Madrid. He's decided to change careers from entertainment to sports management so he definitely inherited by dad's love of sports. I, on the other hand, inherited my dad's healthcare interest. I currrently work for Stanford Hospital. My brother and sister-in-law were in town last weekend. It was fun to show my sister-in-law the track house where my parents lived for a year, I believe when my dad was a senior and my mom had just graduated.

I forwarded this thread to some of my family members and they got a great kick out of it too. Thanks again for sharing your memories!
Mikele Bunce

[stanfan]

Mikela:  I left you a private message regarding your questions.  Hope to hear from you.  Stanfan

[fullmetal]

This is a really heartwarming thread :)

[Rozzie]

I had the honor of being both a Stanford freshman when Don Bunce was quarterback and a Woodside High School student when Don Bunce was quarterback.  I was lucky enough to attend the Rose Bowl that year we played Michigan and won with 12 seconds left on the clock.  Each year when the Rose Bowl rolls around, even if Stanford isn't playing, I think of Don, particularly in years since he has passed.  He was a great athlete, a great guy and lost to us much too soon.

[garvin]

Hey, Rozzie, good to have another class of '75er aboard. Welcome.

[76lsjumb]

Hey, Rozzie, good to have another class of '75er aboard. Welcome.

And a fellow Wildcat, to boot !!

[Class_of_75]

Welcome Rozzie, from another Class of '75er!

[stanfan]

This is a perfect time to remember Bopper.  He led us to victory in our last Rose Bowl repeat. 

[Hulk01]

Great memories of Don.  A gifted runner who gained over 100 yards in a game in Plunk's senior year.  I felt a connection forever because some people thought that I resembled him, mostly because of our nearly identlcal long blonde hair.

The DB was James Ferguson, a very athletic first-year player (sophomore) and one of the not-that-many blacks on our team (DBs Ferguson, McCloud and Barnes, RB Brown, FB Shockley/Sanderson, and WRs Winesberry and Moore))  Ferguson's forward progress reached at least the two-and-a-half and that the safety call was the worst of the Rose Bowl years. 

That game also featured the most deceptive fake punt I have seen.  Our up back (McClure?) intercepted the snap and handed it forward and put it on the butt of Jackie Brown, who had his hands under his butt like a center delivering the snap to the QB.  Michigan's defenders tore past Brown and the upback and Jackie then took off, ending right in front of us at around the Michigan 15-20.

But that is what happened but not what we saw.  What we thought that we saw was our punter taking the snap and kicking the ball--going through all the motions--toward the Michigan goal line.  But when we looked airborne we could not see the punted ball. Then we heard the roar and looked down.  Jackie was racing five yards past the LOS and veering to the right sideline. 

Great game.  Thanks to our Princess friend/Stanford junior Janice Lowe, we had parade seats directly in front of June Lockhart and the rest of the network broadcasting crew so each band would rev up when they reached us.  Even as a suave college senior, I thought the floats were very creative and the parade was worth every minute.

The parade also was notable for one of our Band's great moments.  The year before this match against Michigan and Bo Schembechler we had beaten Woody Hayes' All American-laden Buckeyes (Jack Tatum, Jim Stillwagon, Rex Kern, Tim Fox, and John Brockington.)  For the Michigan game parade, our band marched in precise lines until it came to a street corner.  Then the members all would scatter wildly to the next corner, reassemble, and resume their march in perfect--especially by Band standards--straight lines.  And all the while, the great part: 

The band members repeatedly chanted "Beat...OHIO!  Beat ... OHIO!" 

So cool that we didn't even care who we were playing and didn't think enough of the Buckeyes to ever learn their name.

All this and a perfect Pasadena day, aka like few days on earth.

(This post was last modified: 12-27-2013, 04:30 PM by Hulk01.)

[RandyB]

James Ferguson, not to be confused with his classmate linemen twins, Mark and John.  :)

[Oasis]

"Great memories of Don.  Not a passer in Jim's class but a gifted runner who gained over 100 yards in a game in Plunk's senior year."

Hulk, maybe Don would've been a better passer if he hadn't been able to run.

I remember the first game I attended at Stanford Stadium, 1971 vs. UCLA with Bunce at QB.  Stanford won and I think the score was 20-9.  At the Rose Bowl I remember when they introduced the starting lineups.  Bunce looked like Ernie Nevers in a then-new age.  And he was really good.  It clearly took a guy like Plunkett to keep him on the bench.

In 1978 (if I remember right, maybe '77) Bunce read the history of the Axe at the BG bonfire.  He completely botched the prepared speech and the Band started chanting, "Bunce -- How did you get into med school?" and similar hoots.  Nobody was laughing any harder than Bunce himself. 

This is as good a thread as I've seen on the net.

[CornFed]

.  .  .  .  .  .That game also featured the most deceptive fake punt I have seen, before or since. 

That is a great memory.  I have no reason to doubt your description of how it worked (it worked so well, like you, I didn't really see it), but it always seemed that it MUST have been more convoluted.  I think Ralston called it during the previous season at some point, but I'm not sure.  I would think we would have seen it again in future years.  Perhaps Ralston had a copyright on it!