Truman State University Athletics

Don Faurot, who was originally from nearby Mountain Grove, recruited "Bud" Protiva, who grew up in Willow Spring, Mo. He lettered four years in football and basketball and played three years of baseball for the Bulldogs in the 1920's. He earned All-Conference and All-State honors as a senior in football and had the ability to call his own signals, according to Coach Faurot. As his college roommate, Fred Schwengel, a Charter inductee in the Hall of Fame, has indicated, "Bud" was brilliant in calling the right plays and was an excellent leader. In fact, he was selected as student body president as a senior and was also team captain. He played the forward position in basketball, earning All-Conference recognition, and he was a third baseman for the baseball Bulldogs. Since he was a strong student of the game of football, in particular, it became evident that he had great promise as a coach. He helped Coach Faurot with the 1931 Bulldog squad and then coached at Shelbina in 1933-34 after Mr. Schwengel left there to coach at the Kirksville Public Schools. Following this job was a successful five-year stint at Hannibal. In 1939 he made a decision to leave coaching and move to Tampa, Fla., to work for Coca-Cola. That began a love affair with the soft drink that spanned at least 30 years. He worked his way up through the ranks to become President of Florida Bottlers Association. After a buy-out, he dabbled in other business ventures, even real estate. Since his retirement Mr. Protiva has been fishing, hunting, and entertaining old friends who migrate from the north for the winter.