Sutherin played college football at Ohio State, and kicked the game-winning field goal in the 1958 Rose Bowl, giving Ohio State its third national championship.
He spent a total of 12 years as a player in the CFL and played in eight Grey Cups, winning four.
While with the Tiger-Cats, he was noted for being both a defensive back as well as a placekicker and he led the CFL in points for several years.
Sutherin was honoured on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Wall of Fame at Ivor Wynne Stadium on October 24, 2008.
After his playing career, Don Sutherin was an assistant coach with the Edmonton Eskimos from 1985 to 1990, the Calgary Stampeders from 1992 to 1994,[2] and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1994 to 2002.