Football History

Born March 9, 1927, in San Francisco, California was Jackie Jensen the stud Cal fullback from 1946 to 1948. The NFF says that Jackie had a multitude of big plays on the gridiron. The first took place in 1946 against Wisconsin when the speedster returned a punt 56 yards. He later sped for 56- yard run against Washington State and chucked a 47-yard touchdown pass against an Oregon defense. Equally impressive were his receptions of touchdown passes of 56 yards against Washington and a big 29 TD grab versus UCLA. The play in the Navy game of 1947 where he took off for a 64 yard run was a highlight as well as his pass against Stanford that turned into an 80-yard gain. Oh his production was achieved on the ground too as displayed during the 1948 campaign with bursting runs of 62 and 61 yards against Santa Clara in one game while rampaging on a 67 yarder against Northwestern. He thrived in a return game as well spinning off a 67-yard punt return against Stanford. The two way player even produced on the defensive side as he intercepted seven passes in 1947. The NFF chose to place Jackie Jensen into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984. Unbelievably football may not have been this athlete's best sport! In 1947 Cal won the first NCAA baseball tournament as Jensen out-pitched Bobby Layne of Texas in the regional final then he and his Golden Bears teammates took the championship game in a victory over future President George Bush and Yale. After his junior year at Cal pro baseball got Jackie to sign a contract. Jensen played 11 years in the majors and was Most Valuable Player in the American League with the Boston Red Sox in 1958.