Former USC and NFL quarterback Rudy Bukich, the 1953 Rose Bowl Player of the Game who then played on an NFL championship team, died Monday (Feb. 29) in Del Mar, Calif., of natural causes brought on by accelerated dementia. He was 85.
Bukich lettered at quarterback for the Trojans in 1951 and 1952, but served primarily as a backup. He transferred to USC from Iowa after prepping at Roosevelt High in St. Louis, Mo.
He was named the Player of the Game in the 1953 Rose Bowl after he came off the bench and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Al Carmichael for the only points in USC’s 7-0 victory over Wisconsin.