San Jose State Spartans

San Jose State Spartans
University	San José State University
Conference	Mountain West Conference
NCAA	Division I / FBS
Athletic director	Gene Bleymaier
Location	San Jose, California
Football stadium	Spartan Stadium
Basketball arena	San Jose State Event Center
Baseball stadium	San Jose Municipal Stadium
Other arenas	Sharks Ice at San Jose
Mascot	Sammy the Spartan
Nickname	Spartans
Colors	Blue, White, and Gold[1]
Website	www.sjsuspartans.com

Aerial view of San Jose State campus.

The San Jose State Spartans is the name of the athletic teams representing San José State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) at the NCAA Division I level. (Football Bowl Subdivision formally known as Division 1-A for football.) The university has participated in athletics since it first fielded a baseball team in 1890.

San José State University sports teams have won NCAA national titles in track and field, golf, boxing, fencing and tennis.^[2] As of July 2014, SJSU has won 10 NCAA national Division 1 team championships^[3] and produced 50 NCAA national Division 1 individual champions.^[2] SJSU also has achieved an international reputation for its judo program, winning 47 National Collegiate Judo Association (NCJA) championships in 53 years (as of 2014).^[4][5]

SJSU alumni have won 19 Olympic medals (including seven gold medals) dating back to the first gold medal won by Willie Steel in track and field in the 1948 Olympics. Alumni also have won medals in swimming, judo and boxing.

The track team coached by "Bud" Winter earned San Jose the nickname "Speed City," and produced Olympic medalists and social activists Lee Evans, John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Smith and Carlos are perhaps best remembered for giving the raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City.

Current varsity teams

San José State University sponsors teams in seven men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports:^[6]

Men's Intercollegiate Sports Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Soccer Water Polo ^#

Women's Intercollegiate Sports Basketball Beach volleyball * Cross Country Golf Gymnastics ^# Soccer Softball Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field (Indoor & Outdoor) Volleyball Water Polo ^#

• ^# = Gymnastics and the men's and women's water polo teams compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
• * = Beach volleyball is a fully sanctioned NCAA sport which will have its first national championship in the spring of 2016.^[7] San Jose State is currently an independent.

Nickname and mascot history

Due to the school's original designation as a teachers' college, SJSU's mascot changed many times before the school finally adopted the Spartans as the official mascot and nickname in 1942. Mascots and nicknames prior to 1942 included the Daniels, the Teachers, the Pedagogues, the Normals, and the Normalites. The school's current mascot is Sammy the Spartan or Sammy Spartan for short.

After 1887, the official name of the San Jose campus was the State Normal School at San Jose. The school's athletic teams initially played under the "Normal" identity, but they gradually shifted to the State Normal School identity, as evidenced by images of the SNS football and basketball squads from this era. Despite the SNS identity, the school continued to be referred to as the California State Normal School, San José in official publications. A recent historical exhibit in the Martin Luther King Library on the San José State campus featured a number of pieces of State Normal School memorabilia, including a SNS pennant.

Fight songs

Spartan Fight Song

Fight on for dear old San Jose State;
Fight on for victory!
We are with you in every way.
No matter what the price may be!
Onward for Sparta noble and true,
Fight hard in everything you do!
And so we'll Fight! (RAH!) Win! (RAH!)
March onward down the field and we will win the day!
S...J...S...U...S..J..S..U..SJSU...SAN JOSE STATE!

Spartan Alma Mater

Hail, Spartans, Hail!
Hail, gold, blue and white!
We pledge our hearts and hands,
To keep thy colors ever bright,
Forward we go! We will not fail!
Sing to our Alma Mater,
Hail! Hail! Hail!

^[8]

Rivals

San Jose State shares rivalries with fellow Mountain West members: Fresno State, San Diego State and Hawaii, as well as Stanford due to its close proximity, in all sports. With its shared history, CSU affiliate Fresno State University is SJSU's biggest rival, while fellow South Bay resident Santa Clara University athletic programs challenge for local turf, especially in SJSU vs. SCU soccer and basketball games.

Facilities

San Jose State vs. Utah at Spartan Stadium - 2009

The Event Center, Aquatic Center, and the Spartan Complex are the principal sports facilities on the main campus for athletes. Additional athletics facilities, including Spartan Stadium and Blethen Field (baseball), along with the athletics department administrative offices and multiple training and practice facilities, are located on SJSU's 62-acre (25.1 ha) south campus approximately 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of the main campus.

In April 2014, a new $76 million master plan to renovate the entire South Campus was unveiled. The plan calls for construction of a 9-hole golf facility, new baseball and softball stadiums, new track and field facilities, new soccer and tennis facilities, and three beach volleyball courts. The project is currently in the planning stages.^[9]

Main Campus

• San Jose State Event Center — basketball
• Aquatics Center — women's water polo and swimming & diving
• Spartan Complex — gymnastics, volleyball and basketball

South Campus

• Spartan Stadium — football, men's & women's soccer
• San Jose Municipal Stadium & Blethen Field — baseball
• Sharks Ice at San Jose — hockey
• Spartan Courts — tennis
• Softball Complex — softball
• Spartan Soccer Field
• Spartan Track

Varsity sports

(NCAA Sanctioned)^[10]

Baseball

• The Spartan baseball team made NCAA Tournament appearances in 1955, 1971, 2000 and 2002. In 2000, the team advanced to the College World Series.^[11]
• From 1997-2013, the SJSU baseball team competed in the Western Athletic Conference, earning three WAC pennants in 1997, 2000 and 2009.^[11]
• Under head coach and SJSU alumnus Sam Piraro (1987-2012), the SJSU baseball team reached the 30-win mark 17 times (including five 40+ wins seasons) and appeared in the national rankings 47 times.^[11]
• The SJSU baseball team has fielded sixteen All-Americans including four first-team selections.^[11]
• From 1965-2013, over 95 Spartans were taken in the Major League Baseball draft. As of 2013, 11 former Spartans are active professional baseball players in both major and minor leagues.^[11]

Basketball

• The SJSU men's basketball team has garnered 10 conference championship titles beginning with a California Coast Conference championship victory in 1925. The Spartans' most recent conference championship victory occurred in 1996 when SJSU defeated Utah State in overtime to win the Big West championship tournament.^[12]
• The SJSU men's basketball team has made three NCAA tournament appearances (1951, 1980 and 1996). SJSU was defeated in the first round all three times.^[12]
• The SJSU men's basketball team has made one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance (1981), but was defeated in the first round.^[12]
• The SJSU men's basketball team has made one College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament appearance (2011), but was defeated in the first round.^[12]
• Eleven former SJSU men's basketball players have been drafted into the NBA.^[12]
• San Jose State began fielding a varsity women's basketball team in 1974.

Football

The State Normal School at San Jose football team in 1910. Jerseys display a large "N" for "Normal."

San Jose State first fielded a football team in 1893^[13] and has won 16 conference championships dating back to 1932. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Spartan football program was considered a powerhouse, winning eight conference championships over an 18-year span. The 1932 team finished 7-0-2 and the 1939 team finished 13-0, marking the only undefeated seasons in school history.^[13]

San Jose State shares football rivalries with Stanford and Fresno State. The annual game played between Stanford and San Jose State is titled the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, after distinguished SJSU alumnus, the late Mr. Bill Walsh. The Fresno State and San Jose State game is simply known as the Valley Rivalry game.

Additional Football Facts

• The San Jose State Spartans football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Honolulu to play the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Shrine Bowl, but was stranded on the islands after the Pearl Harbor attack.^[14]
• SJSU earned more Big West Conference football championship titles than any other team in the history of the Big West conference.^[14]
• The SJSU football team has made nine bowl appearances. Its most recent bowl appearance occurred in 2012 when the Spartans defeated the Bowling Green Falcons in the Military Bowl.^[15][15]
• SJSU, the University of Dayton, Eastern Illinois University and the University of Arkansas are the only schools known to have produced two alumni who would go on to serve as head coaches of Super Bowl-winning teams.^[14]
• SJSU has produced over 70 All-America team members, including five first-team selections.^[14]
• As of 2014, SJSU has sent 117 football players to the NFL, including 106 draftees, six NFL Pro Bowl selections, six first-round draft picks, two MVP award winners, and one NFL Rookie of the Year.^[16][17]
• As of 2014, nine former SJSU Spartans are actively playing in the NFL.^[14][17] Among them is SJSU alumnus James Jones, a former starting wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers.
• On November 10, 1955, the SJSU Spartans played the Washington State Cougars in Pullman, Washington before the lowest paid attendance in history: one.^[18]

Golf

• The SJSU women's golf team has garnered three NCAA Championships (1987, 1989, 1992), one NCAA individual champion (Pat Hurst in 1989), 17 conference championships, and 37 All-America honors. The team's most recent championship came in 2011, when the Spartans won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament for the third year in a row.^[19]
• The SJSU men's golf team has garnered one NCAA Championship title in 1948 and two NCAA individual champions, Bob Harris in 1948 and Terry Small in 1964.^[20]
• The SJSU men's golf team has won 10 conference championships:
  • West Coast Conference (1): 1968^[21]
  • Big West Conference (8): 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985^[22]
  • Western Athletic Conference (1): 2012^[20]
• The SJSU men's golf team has garnered 12 Western Intercollegiate tournament team championships and 12 individual Western Intercollegiate championships, thus earning its place as the winningest team in tournament history.^[20]
• The SJSU men's golf team has produced 33 All-America team members (including four 1st-team members) and seven different PGA Tour winners.^[20]

Soccer

• The Spartans men's soccer team went an undefeated 18-0-1 during the 2000 regular season, finishing with a 20-1-1 overall record. The team concluded the regular season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
• The Spartans men's soccer team has made a total of 14 NCAA championship appearances.
• The Spartans men's soccer team won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) championship title in 2000 and 2003.
• As of 2009, seven Spartans have been taken in the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft since 1998.
• The Spartans women's soccer team won the Western Athletic Conference championship title in 2000, 2009 and 2010, and won the Mountain West Conference championship title in 2015.

Volleyball

• The San Jose State Spartan volleyball team has made 11 NCAA tournament appearances since it first became recognized as a varsity sport at SJSU.
• Spartan volleyball made it to the "final four" in the NCAA tournament in 1984.
• The Spartan volleyball team joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and is currently a part of the Mountain West Conference as of the 2013 season.
• In Spartan volleyball program history, seven coaches have coached the team with Craig Choate compiling the best win-loss record.
• Following Choate, coach Oscar Crespo led the Spartans for six years before retiring. The Spartan volleyball team is now coached by husband-and-wife team Jolene and Aaron Shepardson.
• The Shepardson team was hired at the end of January 2014. They were previously the head coaches of the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners.
• The Shepardsons left the Runners with a winning record of 21-12.
• The Spartan volleyball team participated in its first inaugural sand season last March and with recognition by the NCAA as a championship sport, the team will continue as both an indoor and outdoor program.
• After playing the 2013 season in the San Jose State Event Center, Spartan volleyball will play the 2014 season in the newly renovated Yosh Uchida Hall (YUH) building.^[23]

Club sports

San Jose State has a very active and thriving club sport program consisting of 25 sports and 30 teams.^[24] These sports include:

Archery, badminton, bowling, boxing, cycling, dance, ACHA Division II and Division lll ice hockey, judo, MCLA Division III men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, mountain biking, power lifting, quidditch, roller hockey, men's rugby, salsa, men's & women's soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, track & field, triathlon, ultimate frisbee, men's & women's volleyball, men's water polo, and wrestling.^[25]

Hockey

Founded in 1990, the San Jose State men's ice hockey team garnered one PCHA Division ll championship (1992) and four PCHA Division l championship titles (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997), before withdrawing from the PCHA and becoming an independent American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division ll team in 1998.^[26]

• In 1992, the team went undefeated, finishing the season with a 17-0 record.^[26]
• The team finished 26-1-1 (18-0-1 at home) in 2006, and went undefeated through 42 consecutive home games from 2004-2007.^[26]
• The SJSU hockey team has qualified for the ACHA national championship tournament eight times, finishing as high as 10th in 2010.^[26]
• San Jose State hosted the 2011 ACHA national tournament.^[26]

Judo

The San Jose State judo program was established in 1937 for the Police Studies Department. In 1940, sophomore biology major Yosh Uchida was hired as the student-coach. The program was disbanded during World War II, and reestablished in 1946 upon Uchida's return to the college.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Uchida and University of California, Berkeley coach Henry Stone established rules to allow their students to compete with each other, including a weight class system. Uchida and Stone convinced the Amateur Athletic Union to sanction judo as a sport, and San José State hosted the first AAU national championship in 1953.

In 1962, the Spartans won the first National Collegiate Judo Championship. They would continue to dominate the event to the present day, winning their 47th national championship in 2014.^[4][5]

In 2005, alumnus and coach Mike Swain announced the establishment of the Swain Scholarship, the first full athletic scholarship in judo at an American university. In 2008, the SJSU judo program was named one of six National Training Sites by USA Judo.

Notable SJSU Judoka

• Yosh Uchida, head coach 1964 United States Olympic Judo Team
• Ben Nighthorse Campbell, gold medalist, 1963 Pan American Games
• Gerardo Padilla, gold medalist, 1979 and 1983 Pan American Games
• Bobby Berland, silver medalist, 1984 Olympic Games
• Kevin Asano, silver medalist, 1988 Olympic Games
• Mike Swain, bronze medalist, 1988 Olympic Games; gold medalist, 1987 World Championships (first American male to win World Championships); head coach, 1996 U.S. Olympic judo team
• Joe Wanang, gold medalist, 1991 Pan American Games
• Marti Malloy, bronze medalist, 2012 Olympic Games; silver medalist, 2013 World Championships

Rugby

San Jose State Spartan Rugby was established in 1971 and competes in the Pacific Western Rugby Conference. The Pacific Western Rugby Conference plays at the Division 1AA level. The Spartans compete against Chico State, Fresno State, San Francisco State University, Stanford University, University of California Santa Cruz and University of Nevada. San Jose State competes for the USA Rugby National Championship in both 15's and in 7's. In 2013, SJSU finished first in the conference in 7's competition.^[27] According to the published SJSU rugby team mission statement, "San Jose State Rugby teaches Spartans honesty, humility, and hard work through the game of rugby for Spartan success both on and off the field."^[27]

Salsa

San Jose State's salsa team, "Spartan Mambo", was established in 2010 and competes at amateur and collegiate competitions across the country. Spartan Mambo holds two championship titles from the College Salsa Congress in 2011 & 2015 as well as the 2015 Collegiate Salsa Open.^[28][29] Spartan Mambo also won the Collegiate Teams division at the 2013 World Latin Dance Cup.

Table tennis

The San Jose State table tennis team rose to No. 4 in the national rankings and competed in the NCTTA national championship tournament in 2012.^[30][31]

Discontinued

Wrestling

Wrestling has a history at San Jose State University dating back to the early 1930s. The various teams throughout the years have gone up against other colleges, universities, military bases and even prisons.^[32] Despite the fact wrestling is one of the most popular high school sports in California, only a handful of colleges and universities in the state have wrestling programs. Local interest in wrestling is high and some within the wrestling community would call the Bay Area a wrestling hotspot. Gilroy High School has one of the best high school wrestling programs in the state and sends a high number of graduates to SJSU. Despite student interest and the availability of local talent, SJSU has not sponsored a Division 1 wrestling program since the 1988 season.^[33] Eddie Baza is one of three two-time All-America wrestlers in San Jose State University history and was inducted into the Spartan Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.^[34]

National team championships

As of July 2, 2015, San Jose State has 10 NCAA team national championships.^[35]

• Men's (7)
  • Boxing (3): 1958, 1959, 1960
  • Cross Country (2): 1962, 1963
  • Golf (1): 1948
  • Outdoor Track & Field (1): 1969
• Women's (3)
  • Golf (3): 1987, 1989, 1992
• see also:
  • Mountain West Conference national team championships
  • List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships

Additional SJSU athletics facts

• SJSU garnered 17 NCAA boxing championship titles including three consecutive national team titles (1958–1960) before the NCAA banned the sport in 1961.
• SJSU men's cross country team won the NCAA National championship in 1962 and 1963.
• In July 2007, SJSU was selected by the United States Olympic Committee to serve as the primary processing center for all Team USA members bound for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. All team members used SJSU campus housing and dining facilities during at least two days of document checks, health exams, cultural briefings, portrait sittings, uniform fittings and last-minute workout sessions. The actual location of the processing center on the SJSU campus was kept secret for security reasons.
• SJSU softball coach Vicky Galindo won an Olympic silver medal competing with the United States women's national softball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
• In April 2009, SJSU student Marc Sanchez was crowned the 132 lb national boxing champion at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) championships held at the University of Maryland, College Park. He became SJSU's first national boxing champ since the sport was banned by the NCAA in 1961.
• The SJSU women's water polo team has earned a top-10 postseason national ranking nine out of 12 seasons beginning in 1998, and earned a top-20 postseason national ranking 12 seasons out of 12 from 1998 through 2009.
• The SJSU women's gymnastics team was named the Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion in 2012.
• The SJSU women's swimming and diving team won two consecutive WAC championship titles in 2012 and 2013.

Notable sports alumni

SJSU Alumnus Bill Walsh and former Spartans Head Football Coach Dick Tomey

James Jones catches a touchdown pass against Stanford in 2006 at Spartan Stadium.

Baseball

• Jeff Ball – former Major League Baseball player, San Francisco Giants^[11]
• Aaron Bates – Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox^[11]
• Mike Brown – former Major League Baseball player, California Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates^[11]
• Ken Caminiti – former Major League Baseball player, Houston Astros et al.^[11]
• Anthony Chavez – former Major League Baseball player, California Angels^[11]
• Chris Codiroli – former Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics^[11]
• Kevin Frandsen  — Major League Baseball player, San Francisco Giants^[11]
• Gary Hughes – former Major League Baseball assistant coach, Chicago Cubs^[11]
• Pat Hughes – play-by-play radio broadcaster for Chicago Cubs^[11]
• Jason Jimenez – former Major League Baseball player, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays^[11]
• Randy Johnson (third baseman) – former Major League Baseball player, Atlanta Braves^[11]
• Brad Kilby – Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics^[11]
• Hal Kolstad – former Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox^[11]
• Mark Langston – former Major League Baseball player, Seattle Mariners, California Angels, et al.^[11]
• Larry Lintz – former Major League Baseball player, Montreal Expos et al.^[11]
• John Oldham – former Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds^[11]
• Sam Piraro – winningest head baseball coach in SJSU history^[36]
• Jason Simontacchi – former Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals^[11]
• Anthony Telford – former Major League Baseball player, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, et al.^[11]
• Carlos Torres – Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox^[11]

Basketball

• Tariq Abdul-Wahad (Olivier Saint-Jean) – former NBA player (Sacramento Kings)^[37]
• Ricky Berry – former NBA player (Sacramento Kings)^[38]
• Bobby Crowe – former NBA player (Baltimore Bullets)^[38]
• Coby Dietrick – former NBA player (San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors)^[38]
• Justin Graham – current professional basketball player overseas^[39]
• Dick Groves – former NBA player (San Diego Rockets)^[38]
• Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman – former NBA player (Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets et al.)^[38]
• Ed Hughes – former BAA player (Washington Capitols)^[38]
• Stu Inman – former NBA player and coach (Chicago Stags, Portland Trail Blazers, et al.)^[38]
• Chris McNeally – former NBA player (Kansas City-Omaha Kings)^[38]
• Doug Murrey – former NBA player (Golden State Warriors)^[38]
• Adrian Oliver – current professional basketball player overseas^[40]
• Wally Rank – former NBA player (San Diego Clippers)^[38]
• Sid Williams – former NBA player (Portland Trail Blazers)^[38]
• C. J. Webster – current professional basketball player overseas^[41]

Football

• Courtney Anderson – former NFL tight end, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders^[42]
• Stacey Bailey – former NFL wide receiver, Atlanta Falcons^[43]
• Kim Bokamper – former NFL linebacker, Miami Dolphins^[43]
• John Broussard – NFL wide receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars^[43]
• Gill Byrd – former NFL defensive back, San Diego Chargers; two NFL Pro Bowl appearances^[43]
• Jim Cadile – former NFL guard, Chicago Bears^[43]
• Matt Castelo – former NFL linebacker, Seattle Seahawks; former CFL linebacker, Hamilton Tiger-cats^[44]
• Steve Clarkson – nationally renowned quarterbacks coach; founder of Steve Clarkson Dreammaker quarterback camp^[45]
• Sherman Cocroft – former NFL defensive back, Kansas City Chiefs^[43]
• Clarence Cunningham – former AFL wide receiver, defensive back, running back, and kick returner; former AF2 starter, Stockton Lightning; IFL free safety, Catania Elephants^[46]
• Neal Dahlen – former SJSU quarterback, NFL manager and scout; holds the record for the most earned Super Bowl rings at seven.^[47]
• Rashied Davis – NFL wide receiver, Chicago Bears^[48]
• Steve DeBerg – former NFL quarterback, Dallas Cowboys^[43]
• David Diaz-Infante – former NFL and CFL offensive guard, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Sacramento Gold Miners^[42]
• Terry Donahue – UCLA head football coach; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (attended SJSU for one year)^[49]
• Carl Ekern – former NFL linebacker, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance^[43]
• Mervyn Fernandez –former NFL wide receiver, Los Angeles Raiders^[43]
• Coye Francies – NFL defensive back, Cleveland Browns^[42]
• Chon Gallegos – NFL quarterback, Oakland Raiders^[50]
• Jeff Garcia – NFL quarterback, San Francisco 49ers et al.; four NFL Pro Bowl appearances; also played in the CFL and UFL^[43]
• Jarron Gilbert - NFL defensive tackle, Chicago Bears^[43]
• Charlie Harraway – former NFL running back, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns^[43]
• Paul Held – former NFL quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers^[43]
• Willie Heston – former SJSU halfback; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (attended SJSU from 1898-1900; graduated from University of Michigan)^[51]
• James Hodgins – former NFL fullback, St. Louis Rams et al.^[43]
• Johnny Johnson – former NFL running back, New York Jets; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance; consensus choice for Rookie of the Year (1990)^[43]
• Cody Jones – NFL defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance^[43]
• James Jones – NFL wide receiver, Green Bay Packers^[43]
• Rick Kane – former NFL running back, Detroit Lions^[43]
• Bob Ladouceur – among winningest high school football coaches in U.S. history; coached De La Salle High Spartans to 151 consecutive wins from 1992-2003^[52]
• Bill Leavy – NFL referee; officiated Super Bowl XL^[53]
• Dwight Lowery – NFL defensive back, New York Jets and two-time All-American at SJSU^[43]
• Joe Nedney – NFL kicker, San Francisco 49ers^[48]
• William Yaw Obeng – Arena Football League lineman, San Jose Sabercats^[54]
• Chris Owens – NFL defensive back, Atlanta Falcons^[55]
• Tom Petithomme – former AFL player, San Jose Sabercats^[56]
• Art Powell – NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders; Raiders' 7th all-time leading receiver^[43]
• Waylon Prather – former NFL punter, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals^[57]
• David Richmond – former NFL wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals^[58]
• Scott Rislov – AFL quarterback, San Jose Sabercats^[59]
• Al Saunders – former NFL head coach for the San Diego Chargers^[60]
• Rufus Skillern – CFL and NFL wide receiver, BC Lions and Baltimore Ravens^[61]
• Gerald Small – former NFL defensive back, Miami Dolphins^[43]
• Carl Sullivan – former NFL defensive end, Green Bay Packers^[43]
• Adam Tafralis – CFL quarterback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats^[62]
• Tyson Thompson –NFL kick returner, Dallas Cowboys^[43]
• Bob Titchenal – former NFL linebacker, Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Dons; one Pro Bowl appearance; former head football coach, University of New Mexico and SJSU^[43]
• Dick Vermeil – NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XXXIV^[37][63]
• Bill Walsh – NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XIX, and Super Bowl XXIII; Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee^[37][64]
• Gerald Willhite – former NFL running back, Denver Broncos^[43]
• Billy Wilson – former NFL receiver, San Francisco 49ers; six NFL Pro Bowl appearances^[43]
• Louis Wright – former NFL defensive back, Denver Broncos; 1st round NFL draft pick; five NFL Pro Bowl appearances^[43]
• Roy Zimmerman – former NFL quarterback, Washington Redskins; one Pro Bowl appearance^[43]

Golf

• Dina Ammaccapane – LPGA Tour golfer^[11]
• Ron Cerrudo – PGA Tour golfer and tour winner^[20]
• Bob Eastwood – PGA Tour golfer and tour winner^[20]
• Tracy Hanson – LPGA Tour golfer^[11]
• Pat Hurst – LPGA Tour golfer and tour winner; #16 on the all-time LPGA money list^[37]
• Juli Inkster – LPGA Tour golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1999 and 2002); #4 on the all-time LPGA money list^[37]
• Mark Lye – PGA Tour golfer and tour winner^[20]
• Roger Maltbie – PGA Tour golfer and tour winner^[20]
• Janice Moodie – LPGA Tour golfer and tour winner^[65]
• Arron Oberholser – PGA Tour golfer; AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am winner (2006)^[20]
• Patty Sheehan – LPGA Tour golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1992 and 1994)^[37]
• Ken Venturi – PGA Tour golfer; 1964 U.S. Open winner and Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year"^[20]
• Mark Wiebe – Champions Tour golfer; PGA Tour winner and senior major winner^[20]

Olympic Games

• Kevin Asano – 1988 Olympian (judo); silver medalist; USA Judo Hall of Fame inductee^[66]
• Charles Adkins – 1952 Olympian (boxing); gold medalist^[66]
• Bob Berland – 1984 Olympian (judo); silver medalist^[66]
• Vinnie Bradford – 1984 Olympian (fencing)^[66]
• Ed Burke – 1964 and 1968 Olympian (track and field)^[66]
• John Carlos – 1968 Olympian (track and field - 200 meters); bronze medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City^[66]
• Russ Camilleri 1960 and 1964 Olympian (freestyle and Greco Roman wrestler)
• Dedy Cooper – 1980 Olympian (track and field - 110 meter hurdles)^[67]
• Jim Doehring – 1992 Olympian (track and field - shot put); silver medalist^[66]
• Lee Evans – 1968 Olympian (track and field - 4x400 meters and 400 meters); two-time gold medalist and world record holder^[66]
• Jeff Fishback – 1964 Olympian (track and field)^[66]
• George Haines – swim coach for seven U.S. Olympic teams; head swim coach at UCLA and Stanford University^[37]
• Steve Hamann – 1980 Olympian (water polo)^[66]
• Mike Hernandez – 1972 Olympian (soccer)^[66]
• Mitch Ivey – 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist^[66]
• Margaret Jenkins – 1928 Olympian (track and field)^[66]
• Stacey Johnson – 1980 Olympian (fencing)^[66]
• Russ Lockwood 1976 Olympian (Greco Roman wrestling)
• Marti Malloy – 2012 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist^[68]
• Keith Nakasone – 1980 Olympian (judo)^[66]
• Ben Nighthorse Campbell – 1964 Olympian (judo)^[66]
• Ray Norton – 1960 Olympian (track and field)^[66]
• Christos Papanikolaou – 1968 Olympian (track and field - pole vault); world record holder (first man over 18 feet)^[69]
• John Powell – 1976 and 1984 Olympian (track and field - discus); two-time bronze medalist^[66]
• Ronnie Ray Smith – 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete - 4x100 meters); gold medalist and world record holder^[66]
• Tommie Smith – 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete - 200 meters); gold medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalist's podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games^[66]
• Willie Steele –1948 Olympian (track and field - long jump); gold medalist^[66]
• Jill Sudduth – 1996 Olympian (synchronized swimming): gold medalist^[66]
• Mike Swain – 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist; first American male to win the World Judo Championships, 1996 US Olympic Judo Coach^[66]
• Lynn Vidali – 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist^[66]
• Jim Zylker – 1972 Olympian (soccer)^[66]

Other

• C.J. Brown – MLS soccer player (Chicago Fire)^[70]
• Krazy George Henderson – professional cheerleader and inventor of the audience wave^[71]
• Ryan Lowe – ECHL goaltender (Utah Grizzlies)^[72]
• Ernie Reyes, Sr. – world-renowned martial artist^[73]
• Tony Reyes – Professional Bowlers Association member; 17th bowler to throw a perfect 300 game on television; PBA tour winner^[74]
• Ryan Suarez – former MLS soccer player (Los Angeles Galaxy and Dallas Burn)^[75]
• Yoshihiro Uchida – head coach, SJSU judo team; team coach, 1964 U.S. Olympic judo team; instrumental in developing organized intercollegiate judo competition in the U.S.^[37]
• Peter Ueberroth – Major League Baseball Commissioner (1984 – 1989); U.S. Olympic Committee chair; Time (magazine) "Man of the Year"^[37]

References

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52. Nevius, C.W. (August 26, 2002). "Bob Ladouceur / Sweat and spirituality -- a winning combo / De La Salle football coach's philosophy drives school's 125-game streak". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
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63. "Dick Vermeil, Head Coach", Kansas City Chiefs
64. Bill Walsh Of The 49ers Is Named SJSU's 2001 Tower Award Winner, 2001, CSU Newsline
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66. "History". Retrieved April 22, 2010.
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69. "Smith shrugs off muscle pull to win Olympics 200-meter". Rome News-Tribune. October 17, 1968. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
70. "SJSU Soccer Media Guide" (PDF). SJSU. 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
71. Kelli Downey (September 21, 2006). "After 38 years, 'Krazy George' still beating his drum to cheer on Spartans". The Spartan Daily. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
72. "ECHL League Stats: Ryan Lowe (G)". ECHL. 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
73. Jody Ulate (Summer 2009). "Living for Kicks". Washington Square. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
74. "Tony Reyes". Pro Bowlers Association. 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
75. "SI.com:players:Ryan Suarez". Sports Illustrated. 2003. Retrieved May 5, 2010.

External links

• Official website