Bud Nygren


Bernard Clifford "Bud" Nygren was an American football player and coach. He played college football at San Jose State and professional football for the Los Angeles Dons and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the head football coach at College of the Sequoias from 1948 to 1950.

Early years

Born in Minneapolis, Nygren began playing college football at Gustavus Adolphus College. He then transferred to San Jose State where he was selected as a Little All-American in 1940 and led the All-California Coast Conference in scoring. He also received varsity letters in basketball and track and ran the 100 in 9.9 seconds.
He served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Professional football

In 1946, Nygren played professional football in the All-America Football Conference as a right halfback for the Los Angeles Dons. On September 13, 1946, Nygren scored the first points in Los Angeles Dons team history on a touchdown pass from quarterback Charlie O'Rourke. With the ball at the Dons' 40-yard line, Nygren caught the ball at the Brooklyn 30-yard line and ran the remaining distance to the end zone. Nygren was a two-way player who was known as an "exceptional defender against passes."
In April 1947, the Dons traded Nygren to the Brooklyn Dodgers. He appeared in only one game for the Dodgers.

Coaching career

After leaving the Dodgers, Nygren served as the freshman football coach at San Jose State in 1947. He next serve as the head football coach at Visalia Junior College/College of the Sequoias from 1948 to 1950. He became the head football coach at Grossmont High School in San Diego in 1951.