San José State Spartans
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| San José State Spartans | |
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| University | San José State University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Tom Bowen |
| Location | San José, CA |
| Varsity teams | |
| Football stadium | Spartan Stadium |
| Basketball arena | San José State Event Center |
| Baseball stadium | San Jose Municipal Stadium |
| Other arenas | Sharks Ice at San Jose |
| Mascot | Sammy Spartan |
| Nickname | Spartans |
| Fight song | Hail Spartans Hail |
| Colors | Blue and Gold
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| Homepage | SJSU Spartans |
The San José State Spartans is the name of the athletic teams representing San José State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) 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 Jose State University sports teams have won NCAA titles in track and field, golf, and boxing. As of 2008, SJSU had won more NCAA team championships (10) and produced more NCAA Division 1 individual champions (50) than any other school in the WAC. SJSU also has achieved an international reputation for its judo program, winning 42 out of 46 national championships in the sport (as of 2007).[1]
SJSU alumni have won 18 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 legendary 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.
As of 2008, current head coaches from the men’s soccer, baseball, women’s gymnastics, and women’s golf programs had all been named the conference “Coach of the Year.”
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[edit] Current Athletics Programs
As of 2009, San Jose State University competes at the Division 1 level in each of the following sports:
- Baseball
- Basketball (Men)
- Basketball (Women)
- Cross Country (Men)
- Cross Country (Women)
- Football
- Golf (Men)
- Golf (Women)
- Gymnastics (Women)
- Soccer (Men)
- Soccer (Women)
- Softball
- Swimming/Diving (Women)
- Tennis (Women)
- Volleyball (Women)
- Water Polo (Women)
[edit] 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 1925. Mascots and nicknames prior to 1925 included the Daniels, the Teachers, the Pedagogues, the Normals, and the Normalites.
After 1887, the official name of the San José campus was the "State Normal School at San José". 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 an "SNS" pennant.
[edit] Baseball
- The SJSU baseball team has earned three Western Athletic Conference (WAC) pennants in recent years (1997, 2000 & 2009).
- In 2000, the SJSU baseball team made it all the way to the College World Series.
- Under current head coach Sam Piraro, the SJSU baseball team has fielded six All-Americans, reached the 30-win mark 15 times, and has appeared in the national rankings 47 times.
[edit] Football
San José State first fielded a football team in 1893[2] 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 1939 team went 13-0, the only undefeated season in school history.[2]
San Jose State shares football rivalries with Stanford, Boise State, Hawaii, and Fresno State. The annual game played between Stanford and San Jose State is titled the annual 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 Fresno State-San José State Rivalry game.
Additional Football Facts
- The SJSU football team has made eight bowl appearances. Its most recent bowl appearance came in 2006 when the Spartans defeated the University of New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl.
- SJSU has produced five football 1st-team All-America team members, eight 2nd and 3rd team All-Americans, and over 60 honorable mention football All-Americans.
- SJSU has sent well over 100 football players to the NFL, including six NFL Pro Bowl selections, two MVP award winners, and one NFL Rookie of the Year.
- As of 2009, there are 16 former Spartans playing in the NFL. SJSU also has produced more NFL first-round draft picks (6) than any other school in the Western Athletic Conference.
- SJSU earned more Big West Conference football championships than any other team in the history of the conference.
- SJSU, Dayton and Arkansas are the only schools with two alumni who coached Super Bowl-winning teams.
- The San José 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 were stranded on the islands after the Pearl Harbor attack.
[edit] Golf
- The SJSU women's golf team has garnered 3 NCAA championship titles, 14 conference championship titles, 1 NCAA champion, and 10 All-America team members. The team's most recent championship title came in 2006, when the team won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament.
- The SJSU men's golf team has garnered 12 Western Intercollegiate tournament team championships and 12 individual Western Intercollegiate championships, thus placing it well ahead of Stanford University, Brigham Young University, University of Southern California, Arizona State University, University of Oregon, UCLA, University of Washington, University of California, University of Colorado, Fresno State University and Duke University (among others) as the winningest team in tournament history.
- The SJSU men's golf team has produced nine All-America team members (including one 1st-team member) and seven different PGA tour winners.
[edit] Gymnastics
- The SJSU women's gymnastics team won the Western Athletic Conference title in 2004
[edit] Judo
The San José 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 forty-third national championship in 2008.[3]
In 2005, alumni 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
- Joe Wanang, gold medalist, 1991 Pan American Games
[edit] 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.
[edit] Olympic medalists
| Athlete | Event | Year | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Asano | Judo | 1988 | Silver |
| Chuck Adkins | Boxing | 1952 | Gold |
| Bob Berland | Judo | 1984 | Silver |
| John Carlos | Track and Field | 1968 | Bronze |
| Jim Doehring | Track and Field | 1992 | Silver |
| Lee Evans | Track and Field | 1968 | Gold (2) |
| Mitch Ivey | Swimming | 1968 | Silver |
| Mitch Ivey | Swimming | 1972 | Bronze |
| John Powell | Track and Field | 1976 & 1984 | Bronze (2) |
| Ronnie Ray Smith | Track and Field | 1968 | Gold |
| Tommie Smith | Track and Field | 1968 | Gold |
| Willie Steele | Track and Field | 1948 | Gold |
| Jill Sudduth | Synchronized Swimming | 1996 | Gold |
| Mike Swain | Judo | 1988 | Bronze |
| Lynn Vidali | Swimming | 1968 | Silver |
| Lynn Vidali | Swimming | 1972 | Bronze |
[edit] Notable sports alumni
- Tariq Abdul-Wahad – NBA player (played at SJSU as Olivier Saint-Jean)
- Ricky Berry — former NBA player (deceased)
- Kim Bokamper – former NFL linebacker, Miami Dolphins
- John Broussard – wide receiver Jacksonville Jaguars
- Gill Byrd — former Pro Bowl NFL defensive back, San Diego Chargers
- Ken Caminiti – former Major League Baseball player
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell – 1963 Pan American Games gold medalist in judo
- John Carlos – 1968 Olympic bronze medalist, best known for raised fist salute with fellow SJSU student and medalist Tommie Smith
- Sherman Cocroft – former defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Danny Lee Clark — former NFL defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams; played "Nitro" on American Gladiators
- Rashied Davis – NFL Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
- Steve DeBerg – former NFL quarterback, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons
- Lee Evans —Olympic gold medalist and record holder (track)
- Mervyn Fernandez – former NFL Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Raiders
- Kevin Frandsen – infielder, San Francisco Giants
- Jeff Garcia — NFL quarterback
- Krazy George Henderson – professional cheerleader, inventor of the audience wave
- Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman – former ABA/NBA player
- Pat Hurst – LPGA golfer
- Juli Inkster – LPGA golfer
- Johnnie Johnson – former NFL running back
- James Jones – wide receiver Green Bay Packers
- Rick Kane – former NFL running back with the Detroit Lions
- Bill Leavy — NFL referee
- Dwight Lowery — NFL defensive back with the New York Jets and two-time All-American at SJSU
- Joe Nedney – National Football League kicker San Francisco 49ers
- William Yaw Obeng — Arena Football League lineman with the San Jose Sabercats
- Arron Oberholser – PGA golfer
- Christos Papanikolaou — Greek pole vaulter and world record holder
- Tom Petitthome — former AFL player with the San Jose Sabercats
- Art Powell — NFL wide receiver and Oakland Raiders 7th all-time leading receiver
- Ernie Reyes Sr. – martial artist
- Tony Reyes —Professional Bowlers Association member; 17th bowler to throw a perfect 300 game on television and PBA tour winner
- Tommie Smith – 1968 Olympic gold medalist, best known for raised fist salute with fellow SJSU student and medalist John Carlos
- Tyson Thompson —NFL kick returner with the Dallas Cowboys
- Peter Ueberroth — head of 1984 Summer Olympics, Time magazine 1984 Man of the Year, former U.S. Olympic Committee chair, and Major League Baseball Commissioner (1984 – 1989)
- Yosh Uchida – 1964 Olympic judo coach
- Dick Vermeil — NFL coach[4]
- Bill Walsh — NFL coach[5]
- Gerald Willhite — former NFL running back with the Denver Broncos
[edit] 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.
- The SJSU men's club ice hockey team was ranked #1 in the west (ACHA) for the 2005–2006 season.
- 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.
- In April 2009, SJSU student Marc Sanchez was crowned the 132-pound weight class national boxing champion at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) championships held at the University of Maryland.
[edit] References
- ^ Ryan Sholin; "The judo that you don't know"; The Spartan Daily, San José State University; April 11, 2006;
- ^ a b Laurence Miedema (April 29, 2007). "All about perseverance". San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/sjsu150/ci_5779138. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ "2008 USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Judo Championships". National Collegiate Judo Association. http://www.collegejudo.com/results/2008.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
- ^ "Dick Vermeil, Head Coach", Kansas City Chiefs
- ^ Bill Walsh Of The 49ers Is Named SJSU's 2001 Tower Award Winner, 2001, CSU Newsline
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