Donald Roca-Dawson '94 is one of the greatest running backs in the tradition-rich 130-year history of the Ripon College football program, as his name still litters the school record book, 27 years after his graduation. An All-American selection as a senior, Roca-Dawson was a four-time All-Conference performer, book-ending his career with First Team honors as a freshman and senior. Also a member of Ripon's Track & Field team, Roca-Dawson was inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

"Don was an outstanding running back that possessed great speed and once he got to the edge, no one was going to catch him," Ripon Head Football Coach Ron Ernst said. "He was a four-year starter that teams had to plan for and prepare to stop, and he ran just as well on a wet surface as a dry one."

At the time of his graduation, Roca-Dawson held school records for career rushing yards (3,812) and rushing touchdowns (39), which stood for eight and 18 years, respectively. He still ranks second in both categories, while also currently ranking second in school history for all-purpose yards (4,238), sixth in scoring (238), and 10th in total offense (3,812).

As a freshman, Roca-Dawson burst onto the scene with 673 yards and a school record at the time of 14 touchdowns, en route to First Team All-Conference honors. He followed that up with 674 and 983 yards as a sophomore and junior, respectively, before embarking on one of the greatest individual seasons in program history as a senior during the 1993 season.

In his final year, Roca-Dawson set single season school records for rushing yards (1,482), rushing touchdowns (16), and all-purpose yards (1,557), all of which have since been broken and currently ranks second. He led the MWC in touchdowns that season, while scoring 96 points, which was fourth in school history at the time, and currently is tied for eighth. During a game against Knox College that season, Roca-Dawson had a performance for the ages, setting a single game school record with 293 yards, which still stands today. He also set a school record with five rushing touchdowns that day, which helped him earn Player of the Week honors in multiple national publications. Roca-Dawson registered a five-touchdown game twice that season, and owns three of the top six single game rushing totals in program history.

"Ripon gave me the opportunity to compete at a very high level on the football field and track, while also receiving a very personalized education," Roca-Dawson said. "I had a great balance of studies, sports and fun."

At the conclusion of his senior season, Roca-Dawson was named to the Division-III All-American Team, in addition to his First Team All-Conference selection. The uniqueness about Roca-Dawson's record-breaking performances is that the majority were held by his position coach at the time, Tim White, who had set the bar for Ripon running backs 10 years earlier.

"Coach White was the most influential coach I had at Ripon because he coached me knowing that if he pushed me hard enough, I would break his records," Roca-Dawson recalled. "He encouraged me to be the best I could be not just in football but as a man, and he even read at my wedding."

One of Roca-Dawson's most vivid memories doesn't involve a single play or game, but instead the experience of traveling to play Alfred University in New York on a road trip out east.

"We stopped at the University of Notre Dame on the way to New York and were able to practice on Notre Dame's practice field, which was a great experience," Roca-Dawson said. "My grandparents were able to drive from Virginia and watch me play in that game. They didn't travel much and never got to see me play high school football in Texas, so it was a special trip that my grandfather always talked about."

One of the many reasons for Roca-Dawson's success on the football field may have been his experience running for Ripon's Track & Field team during football's offseason, which is sometimes overshadowed. On the track, Roca-Dawson met another influential coach in Elaine Coll, who was inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.

"Coach Coll was always enthusiastic and supportive, and she pushed me to excel."

A Philosophy, Math, and Studio Art major, Roca-Dawson was also a member of Phi Kappa Pi and a Resident Assistant at Ripon College. He currently serves as an Operational Manager for Amazon. Originally from Arlington, Va., Roca-Dawson grew up in Glen Rose, Texas. He currently resides in Chicago with his wife Carrie Roca-Dawson '94 and their two children.


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