Olympic Game Medalist, All-Americans, Super Bowl-Winning Coach And Allan & Phyllis Simpkins To Be Recognized At 2000 SJSU Sports Hall Of Fame

Two Olympic Games medal winners, four All-Americans, one of the 50 most popular players from the old American Basketball Association and two of the most successful coaches at San Jose State University are among 11 individuals who will be recognized at the 2000 San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies. This year's event is on Friday, November 3, at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose.

Bob Berland ('84), a 1984 silver medal winner and the first American to earn an Olympic Games medal in judo; All-Americans Teri DeBusk ('85), a volleyball setter; women's golfer Tracy Hanson ('93); basketball legend Darnell Hillman ('70); gymnast Roy Palassou ('84) and field hockey player Susan Walker ('81); and coaches Jack Elway, whose football teams averaged seven wins a season from 1979 through 1983, and Dick Montgomery, who guided the Spartans to consecutive trips to the NCAA women's volleyball championship from 1981 to 1989 are joining the Hall of Fame as athletes and/or coaches.

The late Alan Simpkins and his wife, Phyllis Simpkins, will be recognized as Hall of Fame entrants for their lifelong dedication and contributions to San Jose State University athletics.

Dick Vermeil ('58), who coached the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV and is a member of the Hall of Fame, will be recognized as a "Spartan Legend."

Dinner reservations for the banquet and induction ceremonies are available by contacting Sheri Bragg in the San Jose State University division of intercollegiate athletics at (408) 924-1692 or at sbragg@email.sjsu.edu.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES' BIOGRAPHIES

BOB BERLAND
Bob Berland was a member of the 1981 through 1984 San Jose State University judo teams. He won four National Collegiate individual championships in the 209 pound and open divisions. At the senior national championships, he was a five-time winner, capturing first places three times in the 189-pound division and twice in the open division. In international competition, he was a Pan American Games champion, the first American to win a silver medal in judo at an Olympic Games and was a bronze medalist at the 1983 World Championships while a San Jose State student. He is a trader with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

TERI DeBUSK
Teri DeBusk Schroeder was a member of the 1982 through 1985 San Jose State University women's volleyball teams. During those four seasons, the Spartans posted a 93-39 win-loss record, won two conference championships and appeared in the NCAA Tournament each season. As a setter, she became the second Spartan women's volleyball player to earn first-team All-America recognition when she was recognized for her superior play during her 1985 senior season. She was a second-team all-conference pick as a sophomore and a two-time first-team all-conference selection. DeBusk was the 1985 NorPac Conference "Player of the Year." She set and held all the San Jose State assist records in volleyball for 10 years. After completing her college career, she played professionally in Major League Volleyball for the San Jose and Arizona franchises during the 1987 through 1989 seasons until the league terminated play. Married and living in Gilbert, Ariz., she is a physical education teacher.

JACK ELWAY
Jack Elway coached the San Jose State University football teams from 1979 through 1983. His teams posted a record of 35-20-1, won the 1981 Pacific Coast Athletic Association championship and participated in the 1981 California Raisin Bowl. The 1981 Spartans were the first team to defeat both California and Stanford in the same season and were nationally-ranked at the end of the regular season. The 1982 team was nationally ranked at the start of the season winning three consecutive games over Pac-10 members. In his five seasons, San Jose State was on network television eight times. Spartan players received 24 All-America honors during his coaching career. Elway was the PCAA "Coach of the Year" in 1979 and 1981 and was a head coach in the 1982 Blue-Gray Classic and 1983 East-West Shrine Game. He recently retired as the director of pro player personnel for the Denver Broncos.

TRACY HANSON
Tracy Hanson was a four-time All-America golfer on the San Jose State University teams during the 1990 through 1993 seasons. The Spartans won the 1992 NCAA Championship her junior season, was second in 1991, third in 1993 and fourth in 1990. When she completed her collegiate career, she had 10 tournament victories. Only Juli Inkster had more college tournament victories as a Spartan when Hanson finished her career. Hanson played in 41 tournaments and finished in the top-20 35-out-of-41 events. She had 30 top-10 finishes in those 41 events. Three times, she was a first-team All-America. As a freshman, she was a second-team All-America. From her sophomore through senior seasons, she was an academic All-America. Hanson received the 1991 Edith Munson Award and 1993 Marilynn Smith Awards for excellence in the classroom and on the golf course. Before graduating in four years and with honors, she also was the 1991 U.S. Publinx champion and a member of the 1992 U.S. Curtis Cup team. Hanson, who resides in Orlando, Fla., has been a member of the LPGA Tour since 1995.

DARNELL HILLMAN
Darnell Hillman was a member of the 1969 San Jose State men's basketball and 1969 track and field teams. He only played one season of varsity basketball before serving in the U.S. Army. Hillman's 14.2 per game rebounding average is the third best in school history. The Spartans posted a 16-8 record, the team's best record over a 15-season span, in his only season with Hillman leading the team both in scoring and rebounding. He became the first Spartan player to be selected in the first round of an National Basketball Association draft when the Golden State Warriors chose him in the first round of the 1971 draft. Hillman signed with the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association in 1972 and played six seasons. In the ABA, he was one of the league's most popular personalities with his Afro hairstyle. Hillman played three more seasons in the NBA with New Jersey, Denver, Kansas City and finished his career with Golden State.

As a high jumper, he was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association meet champion. The resident of Indianapolis, Ind., ranked as high as second on the school's career list with a 6-foot-11 1/2 mark.

DICK MONTGOMERY
Dick Montgomery coached the San Jose State women's volleyball team for nine seasons from 1981 through 1989. He is the most successful coach in the history of Spartan volleyball with a win-loss record of 191-99 and a winning percentage of .659. His teams were nationally ranked on a consistent basis and made eight straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The 1984 team reached the Final Four finishing fourth. Four other teams reached the NCAA regional semifinal action. The 1986 team was ranked first in the country during in-season competition. His players earned five of the seven All-America recognitions the school received in the sport, five all-region choices, 12 first-team all-conference picks and two conference "Player of the Year" selections. Montgomery was named conference "Coach of the Year" in 1985. After retiring from coaching, he developed the sports management program in the school's kinesiology department and continues teaching classes at San Jose State. He resides in Los Gatos.

ROY PALASSOU
Roy Palassou was a member of the 1983 and 1984 San Jose State University men's gymnastics teams. In his two seasons, Palassou garnered more national awards in the sport than any gymnast in school history. In an Olympic year, he was the 1984 winner of the Nissen Award given annually to the outstanding senior male collegiate gymnast. Palassou earned All-America recognition four times and is the first and only Spartan to earn more than one All-America honor at an NCAA Championship event. He was the 1983 and 1984 Pacific Coast Athletic Association "Gymnast of the Year" and, in 1984, was the first competitor to win all of the individual events in a single meet. In his two years of competition, Palassou won 11 out of a possible 14 individual events at the conference meet. He either set or tied the San Jose State records in all the individual events during his career. Palassou was a member of the U.S. gymnastics team and represented the country in dual meets against France, Japan and Italy. He was invited to compete for a spot on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was in contention to qualify for the squad until an injury forced him to withdraw from the competition. The resident of Salinas, Calif., is an accountant.

SUE WALKER
Sue Walker was a member of the 1978 through 1981 San Jose State University field hockey teams and captain of the 1979 and 1981 Spartan squads. The teams competed in the AIAW National Championship in 1978, 1979 and 1980 finishing as high as fourth. She was a three-time All-NorCal Conference selection, an All-Region VIII pick her junior year and an All-American as a senior. Following her senior season, she was invited to participate in the 1981, 1982 and 1983 National Sports Festivals by the U.S. Olympic Committee. She was chosen to participate on the 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 U.S. Field Hockey squads. Walker was named to the USA National Field Hockey teams in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and was a starting forward until she retired following the 1987 season. She was the assistant director of field hockey at San Jose State from 1982 through 1986. Walker is a vice-principal in the San Jose Unified School District.

ALAN & PHYLLIS SIMPKINS
Alan Simpkins, who passed away in 1997, and his wife, Phyllis Simpkins, graduated from San Jose State in 1948 and 1946, respectively. Their contributions to the university span six decades and many facets of the school from the International Center to the marching band to Spartan athletics. Three buildings on the campus bear their name - the Phyllis Forward Simpkins International Center, the Simpkins Stadium Center next to Spartan Stadium and the Alan B. Simpkins Intercollegiate Athletics Administration Building. They have provided leadership to the Spartan Foundation, the San Jose State University Foundation Board, the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Alumni Association and Friends of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. The California State University system has recognized them as 1989 "Philanthropists of the Year." San Jose State University conferred honorary doctorate degrees to both of them in 1996. Phyllis commutes regularly from Santa Cruz and remains actively involved in numerous university projects and activities including extensive volunteer commitments for her beloved Spartans.

DICK VERMEIL
Dick Vermeil, a San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame member, was a quarterback on the 1956 and 1957 Spartan teams. He is the only football coach to lead teams to victories in both a Rose Bowl and a Super Bowl. His coaching career began in 1959 after he earned his master's degree from San Jose State. Three years in high school and two years in junior college coaching preceded his first college coaching job at Stanford under John Ralston in 1965. Vermeil alternated as an assistant coach at UCLA and the Los Angeles Rams from 1968 through 1973 before he was named the head coach at UCLA in 1974. He capped two winning seasons with a 1976 upset win over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Vermeil moved on to the National Football League and spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 1979 NFL "Coach of the Year" engineered a turnaround with the Eagles and led the franchise to its only Super Bowl appearance in 1981. He worked as a broadcast analyst for the ABC-TV college football package from 1983 through 1996 before returning to the NFL in 1997 as head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Vermeil again led one of the league's greatest turnarounds taking the Rams from perennial losers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. He and his wife, Carol, are living in a Philadelphia, Pa., suburb.