Keith Birlem was a quarterback on the 1936 through 1938 football teams.
Back then, the Spartans had one of the best football programs on the West Coast. With Dud DeGroot as head coach, the Spartans were 27-7-1 in the three seasons Birlem was calling signals.
Recognized as the second San Jose State player to play in the National Football League, Mr. Birlem was a member of the 1939 Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins teams.
Washington Times reporter Marc Lancaster offers this Memorial Day tribute to Mr. Birlem, the commander of the Army Air Force 508th Bombardment Squadron, 351st Bombardment Group.
On Memorial Day, San Jose State athletics pays tribute to its student-athletes who went on to serve their country in times of peace and conflict.
Click here for a 2006 Albuquerque Journal story of football player David Sullivan.
Click here for an account of the San Jose State football team that was in Honolulu on December 7, 1941.