- Jeff Garcia
Even though Garcia wasn’t drafted by an NFL team, he showed the determination to turn pro and had a pro career that spanned 10 years.
Garcia transferred to San Jose State in 1990 and was starting quarterback until graduating in 1993.
As a Spartan, Garcia threw for 6,545 yards and 48 touchdowns in three seasons.
Garcia joined the Calgary Stampede, where he won the Canadian Football Leage’s Grey Cup and was voted Grey Cup MVP.
He made enough noise to make NFL coaches give him another look.
The four time pro-bowler threw for 25,537 yards, 161 touchdowns and had his best years while on the San Francisco 49ers and made the playoffs, more than most other undrafted players can say.
- James Jones
The first of three Super Bowl champions on this list, Jones gave Aaron Rodgers a dependable receiver to throw to once he earned a starting wideout spot for the Green Bay Packers in.
As a Spartan, he earned New Mexico Bowl Offensive MVP after catching six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
The future third-round draft pick caught a total of 126 passes for 1,496 yards and even threw a touchdown his senior year.
The San Jose native even helped Rodgers have one of the most efficient passing seasons in NFL history and lead in touchdown receptions in 2012.
After losing a step, Jones bounced around the league playing for the Chargers and his hometown Raiders.
- Darnel “Dr. Dunk” Hillman
Hillman is one of three Spartans ever chosen in the first round of the NBA draft.
The future champion caught the eyes of scouts with 327 rebounds and 353 points in one year with the Spartans.
Dr. Dunk was drafted eighth overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1971.
Instead of playing for Golden State, Hillman joined the American Basketball Association where he was a two-time champion and earned the nickname Dr. Dunk.
He is also the only Spartan on this list to win a Biggest Afro Award at the 1997 ABA reunion.
- Ken Caminiti
Caminiti is a three time all-star and Gold Glove winner who played for the Spartans in 1983 and ‘84.
While playing at Municipal Stadium, Caminiti had a batting average of .324 and scored 82 runs over two years,
As a third baseman for the San Diego Padres, Caminiti was also voted National League Most Valuable Player in 1996, hitting .326 with 40 home runs and 130 RBIs.
The Hanford, California native played his best years San Diego and earned an induction into the Padres Hall of Fame.
After dying in 2004, Caminiti has become a warning to those of the dangers of steroid abuse.
- Juli Inkster
The first woman since 1934 to win three consecutive Amaetur titles, Inkster attended San Jose State until turning professional in 1983.
The LGPA Hall of Famer has seven wins in LPGA tours and earned LPGA Rookie of the Year honors in 1984.
She also is the second oldest woman to win the U.S. Women’s Open at 42 years and 13 days old.
Inkster has 44 total wins to her name and makes a strong claim to be the best golfer to ever come from SJSU.
- Gill Byrd
The most recent Spartan picked in the first round of the NFL Draft, Byrd lived up to the hype and became a nightmare for quarterbacks.
One of the best defensive backs in San Jose State history, he caught 12 interceptions and scored one for a touchdown in three years before graduating in 1982.
The four time All-Pro defensive back is the all-time interception leader (42 career picks) for the San Diego Chargers and a San Diego Chargers Hall of Famer.
Byrd has now gone into coaching and works as the Buffalo Bill’s defensive backs coach.
- John Carlos and Tommie Smith
Whether they like it or not, these Olympians are paired together on our list and their athletic accomplishments make it difficult to put one above the other.
While attending SJSU, Smith set a world record 200m straight at a blazing 19.5 seconds.
His speed even earned him some interests in the NFL and he was selected in the ninth round of the 1967 draft.
Not to be outdone, Carlos’ personal best for 100m dash tied to world record and played for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.
In 1968, the two sprint runners raised their fists as a sign of confidence in their skin tone and their determination to not be held down in the wake of the Civil Rights movement.
The image of the two men raising their black gloved fists in defiance is one of the most recognizable images in olympic history.
While competing at the world stage, Smith won gold and Carlos won Bronze.
- Dick Vermeil
The one-time Super Bowl winner was the mastermind behind one of the greatest offenses the NFL has ever seen.
1999’s Coach of the Year attended San Jose State and was a backup quarterback until graduating in 1959.
With the 1999 St. Louis Rams, nicknamed The Greatest Show on Turf, Vermeil scored the eighth most points ever scored in an NFL season.
The Rams were a well-rounded team, finishing the season 13-3 and ranking first in offensive scoring and fourth in defensive scoring
He was able to find Kurt Warner, and turned him from a part-time bag boy to Hall of Fame quarterback and won Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans
- Bill Walsh
Although the 49ers may not look like it now, for a decade they were the most dominant franchises in the history of the NFL.
The Hall of Fame coach played for San Jose State as a defensive end and tight end until graduating in 1955 with a degree in physical education.
Walsh started his career in coaching as an assistant at San Jose State and was mentored by coach Bob Bronzan.
Walsh was twice voted AP’s Coach of the Year and retired with a career record of 102-63-1
“The Genius” coached the red-’n-gold to three Super Bowl victories and still holds the record for the largest win in Super Bowl history dismantling the Denver Broncos No. 1 defense, 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV.
Walsh is the only Spartan to ever be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Yoshihiro Uchida
Super bowl trophies, Hall of Fame honors and records are fantastic, but they can not compare to building a sport for a nation to an Olympic level.
Practicing the sport as a child, Uchida became the face of judo after founding the Amateur Athletic Union that established weight classes and changed the scoring system for the sports.
Uchida has coached at San Jose State for 71 years and the United States Olympic team since 1964.
His name has become synonymous with the sport and has left a legacy not soon forgotten.