Spring Break
Super Bowl-winning coach has lunchtime talk at SJSU
Joey Akeley
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: News
Super Bowl-winning football coach and SJSU alumnus Dick Vermeil shared his thoughts on an assortment of topics in the Barrett Ballroom on Wednesday.
Vermeil spoke to more than 100 people about his experiences as a student athlete at SJSU, his memory of his broad coaching career and some influential people in his life.
Born in Calistoga, Calif., Vermeil was lured to go SJSU by its then head football coach Bob Bronzan.
Vermeil spoke highly of his experience at SJSU.
"People in all departments at SJSU didn't just help me succeed, they wanted me to succeed. I needed that type of direction," he said.
Vermeil said he got into football because his father loved the game. Vermeil then played quarterback at SJSU from 1956 to 1957 while working on his degree.
Vermeil got his degree in physical education, now known as kinesiology, and graduated in 1958.
Vermeil said he coached at Del Mar High School, Hillsdale High School, the College of San Mateo and Napa College before working at Stanford. In 1969, Vermeil became the first special teams coach in NFL history for the Los Angeles Rams. He then became a head coach at UCLA years later. He became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976.
"I was intimidated because some of the players were older than I," Vermeil said.
Vermeil took the Eagles from the cellar to a Super Bowl appearance in 1980. In his time, he became friends with another rising coach from SJSU named Bill Walsh.
"Bill was great for me in that he always gave me credit for being better than
I was," said Vermeil. "We all have a need for appreciation and acknowledgement, and Bill gave me those things, as I did for him."
After his seven-year stint in Philadelphia, Vermeil retired from coaching and went into announcing for 15 years. He came out of retirement to coach the St. Louis Rams in 1997. The team won a Super Bowl title in 1999, which preluded his second retirement.
"My favorite season was 1999, when we won the Super Bowl," he said. "We were four and 12 the year before, but I could feel it coming. I didn't know that we were going to be world champs, but I knew we were a good football team. I can't put that season into words."
Vermeil spoke to more than 100 people about his experiences as a student athlete at SJSU, his memory of his broad coaching career and some influential people in his life.
Born in Calistoga, Calif., Vermeil was lured to go SJSU by its then head football coach Bob Bronzan.
Vermeil spoke highly of his experience at SJSU.
"People in all departments at SJSU didn't just help me succeed, they wanted me to succeed. I needed that type of direction," he said.
Vermeil said he got into football because his father loved the game. Vermeil then played quarterback at SJSU from 1956 to 1957 while working on his degree.
Vermeil got his degree in physical education, now known as kinesiology, and graduated in 1958.
Vermeil said he coached at Del Mar High School, Hillsdale High School, the College of San Mateo and Napa College before working at Stanford. In 1969, Vermeil became the first special teams coach in NFL history for the Los Angeles Rams. He then became a head coach at UCLA years later. He became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976.
"I was intimidated because some of the players were older than I," Vermeil said.
Vermeil took the Eagles from the cellar to a Super Bowl appearance in 1980. In his time, he became friends with another rising coach from SJSU named Bill Walsh.
"Bill was great for me in that he always gave me credit for being better than
I was," said Vermeil. "We all have a need for appreciation and acknowledgement, and Bill gave me those things, as I did for him."
After his seven-year stint in Philadelphia, Vermeil retired from coaching and went into announcing for 15 years. He came out of retirement to coach the St. Louis Rams in 1997. The team won a Super Bowl title in 1999, which preluded his second retirement.
"My favorite season was 1999, when we won the Super Bowl," he said. "We were four and 12 the year before, but I could feel it coming. I didn't know that we were going to be world champs, but I knew we were a good football team. I can't put that season into words."
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