David Chaney, the first San Jose State University football player to be a two-time All-America selection since the Spartans began playing the sport at the major college level in 1950, will be enshrined in the CEFCU Stadium Ring of Honor on Saturday at halftime during homecoming against San Diego State.
Chaney was a linebacker on the 1969 through 1971 San Jose State teams from his sophomore through senior seasons. The product of Greenfield, Calif., and King City High School played much bigger than his 5-foot-11, 210-pound listed size. In his three seasons, he established school career records for tackles, interception return yardage and interceptions returned for a touchdown. His 527 career tackles in just three seasons still is a San Jose State record 48 years later.
"There are 11 guys on the field at one time – 10 other guys out on the field with me. I don't want to take all the credit," said Chaney.
"There are not enough words in the dictionary. I'm in awe of the award. What can I say? I played with some great players and we had good teams. What do you say when someone drops a 'bomb' on you and catches you off guard."
AN UNPARALLELED SAN JOSE STATE CAREER
"There is no doubt Dave Chaney is one of the greatest football players in San Jose State history," said San Jose State athletics director Marie Tuite. "His legend as a Spartan clearly has stood the test of time and lives on today. It is clearly time to have his name in our Ring of Honor for what he symbolizes as a San Jose State football player – an unparalleled playing career and a noteworthy professional career of accomplishments and service to his local community."
The 1970 second-team All-America selection cemented his spot as a first-team All-America in 1971 with his National Lineman of the Week performance in San Jose State's stunning 13-12 upset over No. 10-ranked and eventual Rose Bowl champion Stanford. Chaney was credited with 17 tackles, 12 of them unassisted, four tackles for lost yardage, two fumble recoveries and a third-quarter interception on a day when Stanford had 95 offensive plays.
The 1971 Playboy All-America Team - Chaney in the middle, No. 52
"He was the best linebacker and the best football player I ever coached," said former San Jose State football head coach Dewey King. Chaney's coach recently celebrated his 94th birthday and is living in Wisconsin. King also coached at Michigan State, Penn of the Ivy League and Rutgers before coming to the Spartans in 1970 and inheriting Chaney as a middle linebacker.
"He had tremendous ability as a player. He could have played linebacker on any team in the country. He could run. He didn't miss anything. We turned him loose. He loved to tackle and made 20 to 21 tackles a game."
Another former San Jose State head coach, the late Darryl Rogers coached against Chaney at Fresno State before joining the Spartans in 1973.
"Dave Chaney is one of the finest linebackers that we've ever seen in college football. He's not a big player, but he has the knack of getting to the football no matter where it is on the field," Rogers said prior to Chaney's 1971 senior season.
Chaney became the first modern era San Jose State player to be selected as a first-team All-America. The two-time, first-team all-conference and all-West Coast honoree would become the first Spartan to accept an invitation and play in a Senior Bowl all-star game.
Chaney makes a tackle against Stanford
"He was an undersized linebacker who could make all the plays," said Claude Gilbert, one of the 11 Spartans in the Ring of Honor ready to welcome Chaney as the latest honoree. Gilbert was a San Diego State assistant coach during the years Chaney roamed the field for three Aztec-Spartan games.
One distinction the newest Ring of Honor inductee has over any other Spartan football player was his 1971 appearance on national television with the other Associated Press All-America football players. Back then, the AP All-America players were guests on a December episode of the Bob Hope Show, a weekly evening entertainment variety hour on NBC.
Though he was a 1972 draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chaney elected to pursue a career as a high school special education teacher and was a successful tennis coach. He earned a master's degree in physical education from Cal Poly in 1974. His teams won 12 league championships and more than 400 dual matches in a 20-year coaching career.
This latest San Jose State honor follows having his jersey #52 retired, enshrined in the San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame, and being named to the San Jose State University football All-Century team in 1995.
He also is enshrined in the Salinas Valley Sports Hall of Fame and was named as the #5 greatest athlete in the Salinas area of the 20th century by the Salinas Californian.
A volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years, he possesses a California Firefighter I certificate and Rescue I credential.
Chaney is joining Bob Bronzan, Jack Elway, Claude Gilbert, John Ralston, Dick Vermeil, Bill Walsh and Pop Warner, best known for their coaching achievements; quarterbacks Steve DeBerg and Jeff Garcia; running back Gerald Willhite; and defensive back Louie Wright in the CEFCU Stadium Ring of Honor started in 1998 to celebrate the university's excellence in sports.