If there was one thing that the late, legendary football coach Terry Donahue understood it was recruiting players to colleges and how a graduating senior may be unknown but still very much interested in maximizing opportunities to play at the next level.
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That’s partly why 10 years ago Coach Donahue founded the Terry Donahue California Football Showcase, which says it is for graduating high school seniors and second year community college student-athletes to have an opportunity to display their skills to NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA football programs in a one-day (absolutely free) skills combine.
This year’s California Football Showcase will take place on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Great Park, Irvine, which also is one day before the Super Bowl.
Donahue was the head coach at UCLA from 1976 to 1995 and remains the winningest football coach in school history with 151 career wins. He also was general manager of the San Francisco 49ers from 2001 to 2005. He remained very active in the sport until his death in 2021 at age 77 due to cancer. He also was easily able to put himself into the shoes of the very players that the California Football Showcase aims to help. Donahue was not recruited much as an undersized player from Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, but attended San Jose State as a walk-on, then went to L.A. Valley College and then walked-on as a player at UCLA.
The event will feature student-athletes from all over California and brings together NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA college/universities from across the country, as well as California community college programs. Players will showcase their skills during a series of tests and drills that will best display each player’s talent at their respective positions. The CA Showcase will be organized and managed by former college and professional football players and coaches associated with Coach Donahue throughout his career.
Following the activities, players and coaches from the colleges/universities will meet in an adjacent facility to discuss scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Admission in the area will be restricted to student-athletes, participating coaches and volunteers, visiting high school and college/university coaches and/or administrators, and the media.
