2003 BASEBALL INDUCTEE MARK GARDNER Mark Gardner, formerly of Clovis High and Fresno State, pitched for thirteen years in the major leagues and continued in the sport as the bullpen coach for the San Francisco Giants. Always a fan favorite, Gardner was also respected by his teammates, who voted him the winner of the Willie…
2003 AUTO RACING INDUCTEE DALE DRAKE Born in Reedley in 1901, Dale Drake was a person who loved adventure and lived life fully on his own terms. His father, J.A. Drake, made a living as a blacksmith, but was also a man who liked to build things and became interested in a turn-of-the-century invention, the…
2003 BASEBALL TEAM INDUCTEE 1951 FRESNO STATE BASEBALL They swung wooden bats, wore classy-looking wool uniforms, and played a few military and professional teams. Their coach, Pete Beiden, was the best teacher of baseball fundamentals that Fresno has ever seen and all the starters came from the San Joaquin Valley. The 1951 Bulldog baseball team…
2002 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE VESTEE JACKSON JR. Vestee Jackson Jr., a quick and promising tailback from McLane High School, made the switch to cornerback at the University of Washington and parlayed his extraordinary talents into a successful, eight-year National Football League career. Blessed with skills that evoked memories of his father, Vestee Jackson, Sr., who starred…
2002 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE J. D. WILLIAMS J.D. Williams arrived at Fresno State on a track scholarship, but after a walk-on tryout for the football team, starred in both sports and was the first Bulldog ever selected in round one of the NFL draft. Buffalo picked James D. Williams in the 1990 draft as the 16h…
2002 SPORTS BRODCASTING INDUCTEE BILL THOMPSON When Bill Thompson became general manager of the Fresno Giants in 1979, he would sit in the stands and listen to the patrons to come up with ideas for attracting more fans. He was a salesman for his team and the league in general. “When it comes to baseball,…
2002 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE KEVIN SWEENEY During the Kevin Sweeney era of Fresno State football, the Bulldogs won thirty-two games, lost thirteen and tied one, highlighted by an 11-0-1 season in 1985 in which they captured the PCAA Championship and California Bowl V. Many Division I programs recruited Sweeney as he posted record-breaking performances at Bullard…
2002 SPORTS BRODCASTING INDUCTEE LON SIMMONS Simmons’ name is synonymous with Bay Area baseball, the San Francisco 49ers and the “tell-it-good” home run call. Emblematic of his talent and longevity in the broadcast booth, he was on the air for the San Francisco Giants’ Opening Days at Seals Stadium (1958), Candlestick (1960), and Pacific Bell…
2002 BASKETBALL INDUCTEE MIKE MCFERSON Mike McFerson shot from behind the arc before there was an arc. In his junior and senior years at Fresno State, a majority of his two-point shots would have been three-pointers today. Bulldog teammate and point guard, George Sarantos, recalled that McFerson’s shot was the quickest he’s ever seen. McFerson,…
2002 REFEREE VOLLEYBALL INDUCTEE SUE LEMAIRE Sue Lemaire, a 1970 graduate of Fresno State, rose through the ranks to become one of the premier volleyball officials in the world in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport. Lemaire was a physical education major at Fresno State University with a minor in biology. She…