Gonzaga Athletic Hall of Fame
Matt Bross played four varsity seasons here in the 1920s, just as Gonzaga’s reputation for football excellence began to emerge. In describing the 175-pound breakaway halfback from Great Falls, Mont., a yearbook writer noted, “When it comes to tackling and all around defensive work there was no man on the squad better than Matt. He had the fine art of catching forward passes down to perfection.” Bross had a singular day in the 1922 Christmas Day game against West Virginia in San Diego, Calif. Gonzaga lost 21-10, but Bross was the key man in a storied fourth-quarter rally—a 65-yard play, Houston Stockton passing and Bross catching and running set up one touchdown, the first against WVU in seven games. On the next Gonzaga possession, an 8-yard touchdown drive, Bross caught two passes for 63 yards and ran twice for 18 yards. He also excelled in baseball and track. After graduation in 1926, he played for the Los Angeles Sharks in the professional American Football League.
