John Graves*

John Graves*

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John Graves was another three-sport athlete at Napa High, who ran the 880-yard run for the track team and played one year of B basketball and two years of varsity basketball, culminating his career by leading the 1939-40 team in scoring but football was Graves’ sport. In 1937, he was a starting varsity back at 140 pounds. On the 1938 North Bay League championship team, Graves made the All-NBL team, was Most Valuable Player on the Napa team, and was voted the best blocker and tackler on the team. In 1939, he repeated as All-NBL Back, and best blocker and tackler, and was elected Captain of the team. Graves was Student Body President in the fall of 1939. He won the All-American Blanket, symbolic of the best athlete, scholar and leader. He went on to play football at U.C. Berkeley and he was Captain and star of the 1940 frosh team and played on the 1941 varsity. He went into the Service and returned to star for two more years on Pappy Waldorf’s post-war powerhouse Cal teams. Graves had a brief pro football career with the Los Angeles Dons and continued his leadership role by becoming President of the Southern C’s, a recruiting group for UC athletes.

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