2021 San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Program

2021

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INDUCTION CEREMONY AND DINNER Tuesday, November 16, 2021

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SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME

2021

WELCOME TO THE 26 th INDUCTION CEREMONY OF THE SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME Twenty-six editions. One hundred eighteen inductees.

The celebration continues!

Oh, how we missed this, our annual gathering to celebrate athletic achievement in San Jose and Santa Clara County. We may have had to wait awhile to get together again, but we are so glad you’re here.

Tonight, we are thrilled to welcome into the San Jose Sports Hall of the Fame the extraordinary – and steadfast – Class of 2021: Award-winning sports columnist Mark Purdy, Super Bowl champion wide receiver James Jones, Olympic gold medal swimmer Summer Sanders, and 5-time Super Bowl champion coach George Seifert.

We will also present the 2020 and 2021 Athlete of the Year Awards to ten Honorees whose resiliency over the past two years is as impressive as their athletic achievements. There may be increased foot traffic to and from the stage, but after all this time, what a welcome sight.

Our special evening would not be possible without the generous support of the sponsors, contributors and event partners who are both pillars in the community and champions of this event. In particular, the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame would like to give an extra dose of appreciation to the SAP Center staff for sharing their beautiful building and making it possible for us to resume the celebration.

Thank you for your support of San Jose, Santa Clara County and the rich sports traditions that bring us together.

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THE 26th ANNUAL INDUCTION CEREMONY Master of Ceremonies Robert Braunstein A Championship Year San José State University * Santa Clara University Stanford University

2020 HONOREES High School Athletes of the Year Jenna Flynn, Leland High School Adam Garwood, Los Gatos High School Amateur Athletes of the Year Cade Hall, San Jose State University Kelsey Turnbow, Santa Clara University Special Olympics Athlete of the Year Louis Manson

2021 HONOREES High School Athletes of the Year Jessica Oakland, St. Francis High School Aaron Parker, Los Altos High School Amateur Athletes of the Year Haley Jones, Stanford University Brody Malone, Stanford University Special Olympics Athlete of the Year Jenna Yee 2021 SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Mark Purdy James Jones Summer Sanders George Seifert SA N J O SE SPO RT S H A L L O F FA M E

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EVENT CONTRIBUTORS

HUGH STUART CENTER

CHARITABLE TRUST VIDEO PRODUCTION Video Production by Atomic Productions Mike Kerhin, Producer Jason West, Editor Max King, Director of Photography Tony Giang, Motion Graphics Danny Angotti, Executive Producer Lucy Nazareno, Production Manager

Inductee videos written by Dan Brown, narrated by Justin Allegri Honoree videos written by Sheryl Spain, narrated by Kerith Burke

SAN JOSE SPORTS AUTHORITY Charlie Faas, Chair, Board of Directors John Poch, Executive Director Carrie Benjamin, Director of Events and Community Programs Darren Centi, Event Specialist Alba Pedero Galindo, Event Intern 6

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HONOREES: 2020 High School Athletes of the Year 8

JENNA FLYNN Leland High School

Jenna has all the attributes of a great water polo player: fast and fearless, strong and smart. A right-handed Attacker with an intuitive feel for the course, she is one of those players who loves setting up a teammate for the open look as much as she enjoys taking the shot herself. Through 23 starts this season, Jenna has an astonishing 153 goals, 54 assists, 110 steals, 60 drawn ejections and 32 field blocks.

Jenna was seven years old when she jumped headfirst into her sport; by age 12, she was a fixture in USA Water Polo’s national team pipeline. At 15, she was the lone sophomore on the USA Women’s Junior National Team (U20), a roster comprised mostly of college players. Starting next fall, Jenna will be one of those college players herself, at Stanford University.

Accolades CCS MVP… 2x BVAL MVP… 4x All-BVAL First Team… 3x team MVP… 5x Team USA Selection…4 international tournaments… 2x Gold Medalist at the UANA Youth Pan American Games Fun Fact Jenna’s three sisters have also clocked countless hours in the pool. Shanna swam at SJSU, Elena plays water polo at UC-Irvine and Christine plays for San Jose Almaden Water Polo club.

From the Coach Jenna is exceptionally smart. It’s like the old phrase, she is playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers. – Coach Eric Rise

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Los Gatos High School As much as his own play on the field gets the lion’s share of attention, Adam Garwood would prefer to keep the focus on the team achievements of the LGHS football program: A CCS Championship in 2019, a 5-0 record in last year’s pandemic-shortened season and the amazing offensive line who gave him room to run.

But make no mistake, Adam’s stats deserve attention. In his three years as a varsity football player, Adam rushed for 2,000+ yards and 34 touchdowns in 23 games. As a senior, Adam averaged nearly 10 yards per carry, scored 11 TDs and had four 100-yard games. In the one game he did not break the 100yard rushing mark, Adam helped push a teammate across the goal line to score the winning touchdown to beat Wilcox, 20-19, with under two minutes in the game and after being down 19-0 at the half! It was probably the most important touchdown of the season, as it preserved the Wildcats’ perfect record, secured a share of the division title and marked the first time in four years that LGHS beat their longtime rival.

Accolades CCS team champion… 2x All-CCS First Team… Bay Area News Group AllStar Team… 2x team MVP… Charlie Wedemeyer (SJSHOF ’95) Award Football & Family Honors Older brother Ryan and younger brother Scott also play(ed) football at LGHS. Adam now plays football at Cal Poly, where his dad also played. Adam wears jersey No. 42, as he did in high school, to honor the life of his late uncle, NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman (SJSHOF ’04).

HONOREES: 2020 High School Athletes of the Year

ADAM GARWOOD

From the Coach Adam is always the last guy off the field. It’s just him wanting to be great.

He’s the heart and soul of the team, but you’ll never hear it from him.

– Coach Mark Krail SA N J O SE SPO RT S H A L L O F FA M E

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HONOREES: 2020 Amateur Athletes of the Year

CADE HALL San Jose State University To understand Cade Hall’s impact on the San Jose State football program, consider the breakthrough honors he achieved in 2020. He was the Spartans’ first defensive lineman in eight years to earn All-America honors, and the first in thirteen years to receive first-team honors. He was one of only four FBS players who cracked double digits in total sacks (10.0) – tied for second nationally – and reached the benchmark in the fewest games (7). His Defensive MVP performance in the Mountain West Conference Championship game helped the Spartans beat the Boise State for the first time in program history, ending a 14-game losing streak.

While there were many outstanding performances in 2020 that led to the Spartans undefeated conference season (7-0), Cade’s defensive play was relentless. In five of seven games, he recorded at least one sack, and had more multiple in four. For the season, Cade had 26 tackles on the year, including 12.0 for loss. In the championship game, he had 4.0 tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks.

Accolades All-America honors from The Sporting News, USA Today and the Walter Camp Football Foundation… Mtn. West Defensive Player of the Year…Defensive MVP of Mtn. West Championship game… SJSU Dean’s Scholar Fun Fact Cade’s dad, Rhett, was a defensive lineman on the San Francisco 49ers team that won Super Bowl XXIX. His head coach was George Seifert.

From the Coach Cade does so much good stuff for us, in every aspect of the program. What a player; what an awesome person he is. – Coach Brent Brennan

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Santa Clara University On a team loaded with talent, forward Kelsey Turnbow was one of the key players of Santa Clara’s magical, championship season. In addition to leading the Broncos in scoring (10 goals, 24 points), Kelsey had a knack for delivering season-saving goals in do-or-die moments. In back-to-back road games at BYU and Pepperdine during the regular season, Kelsey, scored game-tying goals to keep the Broncos in the hunt. After her goal against the Waves sent the match into OT, she knocked in the game-winner in the 2OT. In the 2020 College Cup semifinals versus North Carolina, Kelsey’s goal early in the second half had the dual effect of shutting down a possible momentum swing from the Tar Heels and putting the Broncos in the lead for good. In the championship game against top- ranked Florida State, the Broncos were scoreless until the 84th minute, when Kelsey tied the game, 1-1, to force overtime. In a match ultimately decided in a shootout, Kelsey also converted one of the team’s four penalty kicks to seal the Santa Clara victory.

Accolades College Cup Offensive Most Outstanding Player … Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Year … Top Drawer Soccer Best XI First Team … First Team All-West Region … First Team All-WCC… 5x selection for US Women’s National teams, from U14 to U20… 18th overall pick by the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL Draft.

Fun Fact Kelsey is a three-time high school soccer Gatorade Player of the Year in two different states, Wash. and Ariz., and a current Calif. resident, but will go home to Tenn. for winter break. Got that?

HONOREES: 2020 Amateur Athletes of the Year

KELSEY TURNBOW

From the Coach Just as Kelsey has done for us all year, she was cool, calm, composed…with the clinical finish.

That goal (in the championship) put the wind in our sails.

– Coach Jerry Smith

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HONOREES: 2020 Special Olympics Athlete of the Year 12

LOUIS MANSON Special Olympics Louis Manson is an amazing athlete, leader and role model who is respected and appreciated by all who know him. He trains hard, with dedication and enthusiasm, and leads by example. Louis has been part of the Special Olympics community for 11 years, competing in numerous sports, including track and field, floor hockey, soccer, flag football, basketball, swimming and volleyball. During the pandemic, Louis won several gold medals in the Special Olympics virtual @Home sessions and was one of ten athletes named to the All-Tournament basketball team. Louis also loves to celebrate the success of others. When asked to share a favorite Special Olympics memory in a recent interview, he spoke of seeing the joy on a fellow athlete’s face after scoring a winning goal.

Accolades Louis will represent Santa Clara County and Special Olympics Northern California when he competes as a member of the NorCal Track & Field team at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.

Fun Fact Blessed with a beautiful singing voice, Louis sang the national anthem at a recent regional competition. A diehard fan of both the Sharks and Barracudas, he also plays drums and bass guitar.

From the Coach Louis carries himself as a leader, both on and off the field. He deserves to be honored for the sportsman he is. – Coach Melanie Kakalec

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HONOREES: 2021 High School Athletes of the Year 14

JESSICA OAKLAND St. Francis High School

The pandemic wiped out the 2020 softball season, but nothing could stop the St. Francis softball team in 2021. The Lancers crushed their competition en route to a perfect 26-0 record and the CCS Open Division Championship.

On a roster bursting with talent, junior shortstop Jessica Oakland played in another stratosphere. She hit .612 and crushed a state-best 19 HRs to go with her 50 runs, 52 hits and 55 RBIs. In her 95 plate appearances in 2021, Jessica struck out only five times.

Now in her senior year, Jessica has one more season of high school softball ahead of her. Next fall, Jessica will embark on a new challenge when she begins her college softball career at Big Ten Conference powerhouse Univ. of Minnesota.

Accolades CCS team champion… MaxPreps All-American First Team… Cal-Hi Sports State Junior Player of the Year… SBLive’s CCS Female Athlete of the Year…

Mercury News & SF Chronicle Player of the Year Fun Fact Also a star basketball player, Jessica’s two worlds collided this spring when she helped the St. Francis basketball team win their CCS semifinal basketball game only hours after winning the CCS softball title game.

From the Coach Regardless of her stats and awards, I know she is more excited about winning CCS. Don’t get me wrong, she’s thrilled to be recognized, but at the end of the day, it’s about competing and doing your part to help your team be successful. – Coach Mike Oakland and Jessica’s father

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Los Altos High School When asked to explain Aaron Parker’s impact on the baseball diamond, one parent offered this assessment, “When Aaron stepped into the batter’s box, everyone on the field and in the stands knew something big was likely to happen. As an opposing coach, you knew there really wasn’t a way to get him out, so you just pitched to him and hope he’d only make it to first base.” The parent wasn’t talking about Aaron in high school; this was in Little League.

Scouts describe Aaron as an instinctual player with loads of raw power in his swing. Over his four-year varsity career, the catcher hit .489 with an onbase percentage of .583, 26 HRs and 107 RBIs, and helped the Eagles reach the CCS finals as both a freshman and a senior. He was no-hit walked 12 times this year and concluded the season with a CCS-leading 12 HRs; in his last two games, he had three singles, a triple, a solo home run and a grand slam. Aaron is now a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, one of the country’s top baseball programs.

Accolades LAHS Senior and Soph. Athlete of the Year.… West Coast Preps NorCal Player of the Year Top 5… SF Chronicle First Team All-Metro… Bay Area News Group Fab 40 Fun Fact In just the second game of his college career, a scrimmage vs. Cal Poly, Aaron hit a solo shot out of the park.

From the Coach As great as his statistics are, the one thing everyone will remember about Aaron is that he was a great teammate who treated everyone with respect and made sure to connect with everyone on the team. – Coach Gabe Stewart

HONOREES: 2021 High School Athletes of the Year

AARON PARKER

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HONOREES: 2021 Amateur Athletes of the Year 16

HALEY JONES Stanford University If Haley’s name is familiar, you have been paying attention to Stanford women’s basketball (as you should) or you’ve attended the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in previous years. Twice named the SJSHOF High School Athlete of the Year, the Santa Cruz native and basketball superstar was one of the driving forces behind Stanford’s 2021 championship season. Not only did Haley drive to the basket, but she also sank threes, crashed the boards, dished the rock, blocked shots, stole the ball, shut down her opponents – and had a blast. You’re not alone if you are reminded of Magic Johnson when you watch Haley run the fast break or deliver the perfect pass to an open teammate.

Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 NCAA Tournament Final Four, Haley is credited with leading a new generation of “positionless” players who can play any role on the court. She led the team in rebounding, ranked second in points and assists, and had eight double-doubles on the year, including three in the postseason.

Accolades NCAA champion… Pac-12 champion… AP All-American Honorable Mention…

NCAA Tournament Final Four Most Outstanding Player… won gold with Team USA at the 2021 AmeriCup Fun Fact The City of Santa Cruz celebrated Haley’s championship season by declaring April 4th, “Haley Jones Day,” and presented her with a key to the city.

From the Coach She has an incredibly high basketball IQ; she has great court vision which helps our team run. Great players make others better, and Haley is doing that.

– Coach Tara VanDerveer (SJSHOF ’13)

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Stanford University One could fill this entire program with a list of Brody Malone’s achievements and accolades. The Georgia native is a 12-time NCAA All-American gymnast – and he still has two more years of eligibility. Brody anchored Stanford to backto-back NCAA team championships in 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 championship was canceled due to the pandemic) and won five titles in individual events (2x all-around, 2x high bar, floor in 2019). At the 2021 U.S. National Championships, he won his first senior all-around title, putting him on the path to make the USA National Team and compete at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. There, he qualified for the individual all-around and high bar finals and helped lead Team USA to fifth-place finish in the team final.

Malone’s most demanding routine – and where he has the most fun – is on the high bar. The routine includes five release moves. Brody admits it can be dangerous, but he enjoys the adrenaline rush. His gutsy mindset recently delivered results at the 2021 World Championships, where he won bronze in the high bar to become the first Stanford men’s gymnast to medal at a World Championship.

Accolades 2x NCAA team champion… 5x NCAA National Champion… 12x NCAA All-American… U.S. National Champion… 2020 Olympic Team… World Championship bronze medalist in high bar Fun Fact Before becoming a world-class gymnast, Brody grew up competing in rodeos and roping events; he still enjoys hunting and fishing whenever he visits home in northern Georgia.

HONOREES: 2021 Amateur Athletes of the Year

BRODY MALONE

From the Coach Brody is sharp… very humble. He doesn’t get overwhelmed. He knows what he’s capable of doing.

He focuses, and he delivers.

– Coach Thom Glielmi

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HONOREES: 2021 Special Olympics Athlete of the Year 18

JENNA YEE Special Olympics Jenna Yee has participated in Special Olympics for more than 13 years. A dedicated athlete with a positive outlook, she competes in softball, tennis, swimming and bowling. Her teammates and coaches appreciate Jenna for the cheerfulness she brings to practice and games. With a kind nature and infectious smile, she can light up a room and lift the spirits of everyone around her. When she competes, Jenna is focused on the task at hand. When the game is over, her outlook turns to future endeavors: the next sport season and the opportunity to improve her times and scores. Even during the pandemic lockdown, Jenna kept up with her training through the Special Olympics virtual @Home programs.

She is also an amazing ambassador for Special Olympics. Jenna often wears her medals to work to share the Special Olympic spirit with her coworkers. She also participates in interviews to explain why Special Olympics is important to her.

Accolades Named the “Aquathon Honorary Swimmer” for a local fundraiser, Jenna brought the crowd to its feet as she swam the opening lap of the day in front of family, friends and her many fans.

Fun Fact Jenna graduated from Taft College in 2013, lives in her own apartment and works at Whole Foods. She enjoys hanging out with friends and living life to the fullest.

From the Coach Jenna is the epitome of what Special Olympics represents. I always look forward to coaching Jenna, as she is a ray of sunshine and is kind to everyone.

- Coach Chris Gonzales

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From the staa of 49ers Cal-Hi Sports and our new show 49ers Sac-Hi Sports, Congratulations to all of the athletes honored here tonight.

To see future Hall of Famers from Northern California High Schools today, Watch our shows on Sunday nights!

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INDUCTEE: MARK PURDY

MARK PURDY

Award-winning San Jose Mercury News sports columnist

MARK

Mark Purdy grew up in Celina, Ohio, a small town outside Dayton. In high school, he played football and basketball and wrote for the school paper. He earned his degree in journalism at Northwestern before returning home in 1974 to cover sports for the Dayton Journal Herald. In 1976, after a brief stint with the Los Angeles Times covering UCLA football and basketball, Purdy returned to Ohio to write for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

In 1984, Purdy uprooted once again, this time to take on the dual roles of sports editor and columnist at the San Jose Mercury News. Over the next 33 years, Purdy’s voice became synonymous with sports in San Jose – and beyond. During his tenure at “The Merc,” Purdy covered 14 Olympic Games, nearly three dozen Super Bowls, and countless games of either local significance or global import (or both), such as the 1989 “Earthquake World Series,” the 1991 debut of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Purdy was named to the list of Top 10 Sports Columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors numerous times and was also cited by the Wall Street Journal for writing one of the country’s ten best sports columns. In 1990, he and his Mercury News colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize in General News Reporting for their coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

A relentless advocate for the construction of San Jose’s downtown arena, Purdy also coined the Sharks’ nickname, Los Tiburones, and the moniker, McCovey Cove, for the body of water outside the home ballpark of the SF Giants.

In 1995, when city leaders established the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, they turned to Purdy for both his perspective and prose. For 25 years, he scripted and narrated the Inductee videos that are now a staple of the annual induction ceremony. He is the first journalist to be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

Fun Fact The 1980 Games in Lake Placid were the first Olympics Purdy ever covered.

He was assigned to the famed “Miracle on Ice” upset over the Soviet Union.

In his notebook over the final ten minutes, he kept scribbling, “Emotion, emotion, emotion.”

Final Word If you had any questions about what was going on in San Jose, and sort of what the future would hold, you’d go to Mark. It’s so great to see him going into the Hall of Fame. I just miss him. I miss that vibe, that South Bay vibe.

– Larry Baer, President & CEO, San Francisco Giants

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INDUCTEE: JAMES JONES

JAMES JONES

Super Bowl Champion wide receiver

JAMES

Born and raised in San Jose, James Jones was a three-sport star at Gunderson High School, lettering in football, basketball and track. After graduation, Jones elected to stay local for college and took his talents to San Jose State. On the Spartans’ practice squad as a freshman, Jones found his groove by his senior year and was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference and the team’s MVP. He led the Spartans that year with 70 receptions for nearly 900 yards and ten touchdowns. In addition to his success on the offensive side of the ball, Jones was a key player on special teams, returning 42 punts over the course of his college career.

Drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in 2007, Jones spent ten seasons in the NFL. His 2010 season counts as one of his most productive – and rewarding. After finishing the regular season with 50 catches and 5 touchdowns, Jones caught TDs in both the Wild Card and Divisional rounds of the playoffs. Green Bay advanced to Super Bowl XLV, where Jones caught five passes for 50 yards and the Packers won the Lombardi Trophy, 31-25, over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another highlight includes the 2012 season, when Jones started all 16 regular season games for the first time in his career and finished with a career-high 64 receptions and a league-best 14 touchdowns.

Jones is currently an analyst for NFL Network, shares a podcast with Steelers alum Ryan Shazier and works for the Packers Radio Network. When he is not talking football on the airwaves, Jones enjoys coaching his two sons in the sport.

He and his wife Tamika also enjoy giving back through their Love Jones 4 Kids Foundation which helps children in underserved areas in San Jose.

Through the foundation, Jones also puts on annual football camps to drive additional support for organizations in need throughout the Bay Area.

Fun Fact Jones’s jaw-dropping high school stats: he averaged 18.2 points on the basketball court, jumped 6’ 8” in the high jump, and starred as quarterback, receiver and safety on the football team. The football field now bears his name, James D. Jones Field.

Final Word There wasn’t a single day in the two years that I was working with him that I didn’t see James getting extra time on the jugs machine out there by himself.

He’d get a coach, a manager, someone to go shoot him 500 balls a day.

– Coach Brent Brennan, San Jose State Football

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INDUCTEE: SUMMER SANDERS

SUMMER SANDERS

Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion swimmer

SUMMER

Born and raised in Roseville, CA, Summer Sanders was fearlessly swimming laps at the local swim club when she was just four years old. A little more than a decade later, the young phenom nearly made the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, finishing third at the Olympic Trials in the 200-meter individual medley. Sanders caught the attention of the international swimming world when she won silver in the 200 IM at the 1989 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, and within three years, she was among her sport’s global elite. Her four medals at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, which included gold in the 200m fly, made her the most decorated swimmer of the Games.

Stateside, Sanders was also dominating as a collegiate swimmer. During her two years at Stanford University, Sanders won 11 NCAA championships – six individual events, four relays and one team title, and was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. The 12-time All-American received the 1992 Honda Sports Award for swimming & diving as the country’s most outstanding college female swimmer of the year.

Sanders also won eight U.S. National Championship titles and three medals at the 1991 World Championships, including gold in the 200-meter butterfly. As much as Sanders has achieved on the world stage, she cites winning the 1992 NCAA team title with Stanford as her most prized accomplishment.

The mom of two beautiful children, Skye, 15, and Spider, 13, Sanders has been a co-host of CBS’s award-winning all-female sports talk show, “We Need To Talk” for eight years. She is also an executive advisor at Teamraderie, which offers unique online corporate team experiences.

Medal Count 1 NCAA Team Title 1992 Stanford Women’s Swimming Team 6 NCAA Individual Titles 200y fly, 200y IM, 400y IM (1991 and 1992) 4 NCAA Relay Titles 400y medley relay (1991 and 1992)

400y free relay (1992); 200y medley relay (1992) 1991 Worlds gold in 200m fly, silver in 200m IM, bronze in 400m IM 1992 Olympics gold in 200m fly and 4x100m medley; silver in 200m IM,

bronze in 200m IM Fun Fact For 20+ years and counting, Calif. Capital Aquatics has hosted the Summer Sanders Swim Meet in honor of the club’s most celebrated alumna. The fourday event brings more than 60 teams and 800 youth swimmers to the Roseville Aquatics Complex in her hometown to compete in the Olympic size pool named after her.

Final Word A few years ago, we were both in New York for an event sponsored by Speedo.

Summer took me on my first subway ride, just the two of us. And I remember thinking that my 10-year-old self was dying inside because I was so excited that I got to go shopping all day in New York City with Summer Sanders. That was so cool. – Natalie Coughlin, Olympic gold medal swimmer

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INDUCTEE: GEROGE SEIFERT

GEORGE SEIFERT

5-time Super Bowl-winning San Francisco 49ers coach

GEORGE

Born and raised in San Francisco, George Seifert attended San Francisco Polytechnic High School, located across the street from Kezar Stadium, then home to the San Francisco 49ers… the team with whom he would later win five Super Bowl rings. Following high school graduation, Seifert attended the Univ. of Utah, where he played guard and linebacker and worked as a grad assistant. Seifert got his first crack at head coaching at age 25, when he took over the then-dormant football program at Westminster College in Salt Lake City for a year.

In 1966, Seifert moved up to DI football, first working as an assistant at the Universities of Iowa and Oregon before returning to the Bay Area in 1972 to be Stanford’s assistant coach for DBs. In 1977, after a brief head coaching run at Cornell, Seifert came back to Stanford, where he then met Bill Walsh.

When Walsh was hired to be the head coach of the SF 49ers in 1979, he made sure Seifert – and his defensive acumen – soon followed. By 1983, Seifert was promoted to Defensive Coordinator. For the next six years, Seifert’s stingy defenses were among the best in the league, finishing in the top ten in points allowed as well total yards. During this stretch as a Niners’ assistant coach and defensive coordinator, Seifert won three Super Bowl titles (XVI, XIX, XXIII).

Seifert was named the team’s head coach in 1989, and he promptly led them to another Super Bowl victory (XXIV), becoming only the second rookie coach win the Super Bowl. Seifert added another Super Bowl ring to his collection in Super Bowl XXIX, with a blowout win over the San Diego Chargers, 49-26.

Today, Seifert’s record of 98 regular season wins remains the most of any 49ers head coach in franchise history.

Fun Fact Before Seifert became a five-time Super Bowl winning coach, the avid outdoorsman was pursuing a master’s degree in zoology and wildlife management at the Univ. of Utah.

Final Word The guys who were playing defense, like Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson, believed in George and his quiet confidence. It was, “Hey, we don’t need anyone to tell us that we’re good. We know we’re great. And we’re not actually seeking anyone’s approval.”

– Steve Young, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback

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HONORING LEGENDS WHO PLAYED IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

Photo by Terrell Llyod, San Francisco 49ers

HERE’S TO YOU, COACH George, you were our genius on defense and an integral part of our 49ers dynasty. Congratulations on being inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. We are overjoyed to see you get this much-deserved recognition for your accomplishments.

We love you, Linda, and your wonderful family.

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Debartoloholdings.com

SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME

2021

SA N J O SE SPO RT S H A L L O F FA M E

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HONORING LEGENDS WHO PLAYED IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

SPECIAL THANKS Mayor Sam Liccardo & the City of San Jose Event Management Carrie Benjamin, Exec. Director, SJSHOF Induction Ceremony Ginna Baldassarre Robert Braunstein, Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Dan Brown, The Athletic Darren Centi, SJSA Staff Grace DeWitt, Douglas Digital Marketing Lawrence Fan, San Jose State University Alba Pedero Galino, SJSA Staff James Hamnett & the building staff at SAP Center Keyon Johnson, On Key PR Shayla Moore, Zoom Room Dog Training Kirk Reynolds, SC Consult Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush & Niner Noise San Jose Earthquakes San Jose State Athletics Sheryl Spain, Better Call Sheryl Brian Tuscano & the staff of ARAMARK Suppliers & Vendors Amy Blach, AMB Designs Danielle Luce, Standard Party Rentals Freshly Baked Eatery Glenn Karren, Design Signs Gordon Biersch Brewing Company Interior Plant Design Jeri Ng, Only the Best Joan Escover, JP Graphics Joseph George Wines Olympic Trophy Shawn Futagaki, Flower Divas Honoree Liaisons Derrick Erwing, Northern California Special Olympics Lawrence Fan, San Jose State University Tyler Geivett, Stanford University Joey Karp, Santa Clara University Michell Noeth, Los Altos High School Kenny Perrotti, Los Gatos High School Michael Pilawski, St. Francis High School Cam Radford, San Jose State University Mike Sparrer, Leland High School Wilder Treadway, Stanford University Thank you, especially, to the Inductees, Honorees, your family and friends for making the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame an enduring source of civic pride.

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SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DAVID DAVIS Board Chair, Johanson & Yau KEN BIRDSALL Hillhouse Construction DAN BROWN The Athletic ANNE CRIBBS Class of 2003 Inductee, Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee BRUCE EDWARDS March Development DERRICK ERWING Special Olympics Northern California CHARLIE FAAS San Jose State University LAWRENCE FAN San Jose State Athletics DEBORAH FARYNIARZ Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Clinic JON GUNDERSEN United Mechanical STACI GUSTAFSON Santa Clara University Athletics STEVE HALLGRIMSON Berliner Cohen, LLP JAMES HAMNETT SAP Center at San Jose BRAD KROUSKUP Toeniskoetter Development JACQUELYN KULGEVICH Stanford University Athletics BOB LEININGER Retired MARK MARQUESS Class of 2017 Inductee, Stanford University Athletics MATTHEW MARTINUCCI Team San Jose LARRY MCGOVERN Heritage Bank of Commerce JED METTEE San Jose Earthquakes LINDA MORASCH Ponderosa Homes TONY MORICI Reitred CHRIS MORRISEY San Jose Arena Authority RON OLANDER The Olander Company, Inc. BILL RING Ring Trust DANIELLE SLATON Class of 2017 Inductee, Santa Clara Univeristy Athletics LARRY STONE Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office DAWN SWEATT Berliner Cohen, LLP MARIE TUITE Tuite Consulting TIM WALSH Los Gatos Insurance Services EDWARD WEBB Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc. RUSTY WEEKES Bronco Bench Foundation

Supporting

community CONGRATULATIONS to the

2021 San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

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