LIVERMORE, Calif. — San Francisco State Athletics Hall of Famer Manuel Perry passed away on Sunday, May 14 at the age of 86.
Perry is also a member of the Gridiron Club Hall of Fame and was a recent board member. He was recruited out of Ukiah to play quarterback and was a championship quarterback in 1958, before earning all conference honors as a defensive back. He was selected All-Conference in 1960 when the Gators went undefeated.
A 1961 graduate from San Francisco State, he earned his doctorate from USC in Public Administration and had a long and distinguished career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NASA. In addition, Perry advocated on behalf of underprivileged young people, and developed recreation programs that encouraged success for children of color, through athletics and mentoring, such as the LESSON Science Program in Oakland.
Perry is survived by his wife, Elaine, and their daughter. Per his wishes, there will be no formal service.
The Gator Gridiron Hall of Fame, established in 1975 by Gator alumnus Dick Boyd, celebrates the successful small-college program that was established by coaches Joe Verducci and Vic Rowen. While football was dropped by SF State in 1995, several prominent NFL coaches with roots in the Gator program have found success in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter both began their careers at SF State, and so did Mike Holmgren and Gil Haskell. Successful college coaches like Bob Toledo (UCLA, Tulane, Oregon) and Jim Sochor (SF State, UC Davis) were record-setting players for the Gators.
The football legacy at San Francisco State is maintained by the Gridiron Club, an enthusiastic group former players, through regular meetings and Gridiron Hall of Fame events. Gridiron Hall of Fame members include former NFL players Elmer Collett, Bill Baird, Floyd Peters, Joe Koontz, Terry Oakes, and Ed Larios. For additional information, please contact
Don McPhail.
