Year Inducted: 2000
Nominated By: Jim Blanc
Sports Competed In: Football
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach
High School:
Attended Pueblo Catholic H.S., graduating in 1953...John played four years (1949-52) of football as a guard on the offensive line and a linebacker on defense and three seasons (1949-51) of baseball as the Shamrocks catcher/Infielder.
Achievements:
High School:
● Selected to the 2nd Team All Conference (1951) and 1st Team All Conference (1952) playing football.
College:
Played guard on the offensive line and a linebacker on defense at the University of Wyoming (one season: 1953), Pueblo Junior College - PJC - (one year: 1954) and California State University-Sacramento - CSUS- (three seasons: 1956-58) before graduating in 1959...Competed for a year (1954) on the baseball team (fielder) at PJC and was a boxer at CSUS for two years (1957-58)...Continued post-graduate studies at CSUS earning a Masters Degree in 1967 and a PhD in Education from Brigham Young University in 1982.
Achievements:
College (PJC):
● Made the 1st Team All Conference in football in 1955.
College (CSUS):
Concluded his football playing career at CSUS by winning every honor available in the West Coast's small college football.
● 1st Team All-Far Western Conference (1956).
● Most Valuable Player Award (1956).
● Honorable Mention Little All-American Team (1956).
● 1st Team All-Far Western Conference (1957).
● Most Valuable Player Award, Honorable Mention Little All-American Team (1957).
● 1st Team Little All-Coast Team (1957).
● 1st Team All-Far Western Conference (1958).
● Honorable Mention Little All-American (1958).
● 1st Team Little All-Coast Team (1958).
● 1st Team All-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (1958).
● Selected to the CSUS Football Hall of Fame (1980).
Achievements:
While coaching football at California State University-Sacramento:
● Lead teams were selected to play Montana State College in the Camellia Bowl in 1964 and Grambling State College in the Pasadena Bowl in 1967.
● As a coach, his team won the conference championships in 1964 and 1967.
● From 1970 to 1975, John was either the offensive coordinator or the defensive coordinator for CSUS.
Related Activities:
Worked four (4) years at the Sacramento County Boys Ranch (1960-63):
● Served as Recreational Director, P.E., Math, History Teacher
Appointed by the CSUS as the Diving Safety Officer (1978):
● Was responsible to monitor the campus diving research and recreational scuba diving programs.
Occupation:
Works as a Full Professor of Health & Physical Education & Coach at California State University, Sacramento.
Personal:
Lived in Sacramento, CA... Passed away Sept. 19, 2023.
