Quentin Greenough - Football

Quentin Greenough earned his place in state sports lore as center for Oregon State’s first Rose Bowl team.

Born in 1919, Greenough grew up in San Gabriel, Calif., and played three seasons for the Beavers, 1939-41. As a sophomore, he helped Oregon State finish 9-1-1 and score a win in the 1940 Pineapple Bowl, played in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 1941, Greenough helped the Beavers finish 8-2, including a win over Duke in the 1942 Rose Bowl, which was played in Durham, N.C., due to the threat of invasion from the Japanese army.

In the third game of the season, Greenough played on both offensive and defensive lines and led the Beavers to a 10-0 upset of Stanford, which had played in the previous Rose Bowl and was a heavy favorite to play in the game again. He played until the fourth quarter, when a dislocated knee forced him from the field.

During the regular season, the Beavers allowed just 33 points before beating second-ranked and unbeaten Duke 20-16. Oregon State finished 12th in the final national rankings, which were produced before any bowl games.

 Greenough was voted second team All-American.

He served in the United States Coast Guard and played for the USCG football team in ’42 and ’43.

Following the war, Greenough returned to Corvallis and served as an assistant to coach Lon Stiner until Stiner was released in 1948. Greenough later established a general contracting business in Corvallis.

Greenough was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991.