1940 Santa Ana Dons football team

The 1940 Santa Ana Dons football team was an American football team that represented Santa Ana College as a member of the Eastern Conference during the 1940 college football season. In their 14th year under head coach Bill Cook, the Dons compiled a perfect 11–0 record (5–0 in conference games), won the Eastern Conference championship, held 10 of their opponents to seven or fewer points, and outscored all opponents by a total of 317 to 41. The Los Angeles Times referred to the team as "one of the greatest junior college teams ever developed in the Southland."

Santa Ana was rated as the No. 1 junior college football team in the country in the final rankings issued in December 1940 by the All-American Gridiron Index. Santa Ana received 509 points, edging Louisiana State University's Northeast Center Junior College and Kilgore College which received 499 and 492 points, respectively. The Louisiana school challenged Santa Ana to a post-season game; Santa Ana officials favored the game, but the Southern California Conference refused to lift its rule banning post-season games.

Ten Santa Ana players received first-team honors on one or more of the 1940 Eastern Conference all-conference teams selected by The San Bernardino Sun (SBS), the Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF), and the sports editors of the six school newspapers (SE). Santa Ana's first-team honorees were: fullback Bob Bryant (SBS/HAF/SE); back Earl Parsons (SBS); quarterback/halfback Hal Lilley (HAF/SE); blocker Frank Minisi (HAF); ends Dick Gunther (SBS) and Bob Shildmeyer (HAF/SE); tackles Paul Sedar (SBS/HAF/SE) and Jim Crowther (SBS/SE); guard Bill Noble (SBS/HAF); and center Lester McKnight (SBS/HAF).

The team played its home games at the Santa Ana Municipal Bowl in Santa Ana, California.