Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1960 and 1963 Rose Bowl Game
1991 Inductee
In the 1963 Rose Bowl Game, head coach John McKay and his Trojans battled the University of Wisconsin, led by quarterback Ron Vander Kelen, in the first No. 1 (USC) versus No. 2 (Wisconsin) bowl game in college football history. With only 14 minutes remaining in the game, the Badgers trailed 42–14. That’s when Vander Kelen lit up, and the Badgers put 23 points on the board before time ran out. USC won the game 42–37, but Vander Kelen set records for pass attempts (48), pass completions (33) and yards passing (401).
Vander Kelen was drafted in the 21st round of the AFL Draft by the New York Jets, but chose to sign a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. He played five seasons for the Vikings, mostly in a reserve role. Vander Kelen passed away in 2016.
