[1] Eight years younger than his more famous brother, Don followed Gene into the gym in West Jordan, Utah, to learn how to box.

However, he also lost to some good fighters, such as former champions Terry Downes, Dick Tiger, José Torres and Emile Griffith, as well as Joey Archer.

[citation needed] In 1964 he beat Jimmy Ellis, who later went on to win the World Boxing Association version of the heavyweight championship.

He knocked the Italian down but lost a fifteen-round unanimous decision.

After his retirement, he worked for the Salt Lake County Fire Department.