Don Zimmerman
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame

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Football, 1930-32
Tulane University

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Inducted: 1978

Don Zimmerman earned First-Team All-America honors for the Green Wave in 1931 and then became one of four consensus All-Americans in Tulane history one season later. He ended his Tulane career as the Green Wave’s all-time leader in total offense (4,657 yards on 764 plays, an average of 6.1 yards per play) and pass interceptions (12), setting records that lasted for 40 years. He was responsible for 219 points, but more importantly, led the Green Wave to a 25-4-1 record and three straight Southern Conference championships during his career. A native of Lake Charles, La., he also ranks third in career rushing yards at Tulane with 2,369.

In the 1932 Rose Bowl, Zimmerman led the Wave on a pair of scoring drives, throwing a touchdown pass to Vernon haynes, but it wasn't enough in a 21-12 loss to USC.

Zimmerman also ranked among the world’s best pole vaulters. He placed fourth in the national AAU meets two years in a row and won the Southern AAU title in 1933 – beating Matt Gordy from LSU, who was co-champion in both the NCAA and the national AAU championships a few weeks later. In the 1932 AAU Championships, Zimmerman came within two inches of winning a berth on the United States Olympic team; finishing with a vault of 13-8, which would have been good enough for fourth place in the Olympics. His pole vault championship at the 1933 Southeastern Conference championships was the first SEC track championship for the Green Wave. 

In addition to the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, Zimmerman is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1975) and the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame. He died in 1974.