Paul Cleary
Football, Class of 2003

Paul Cleary was a member of the 1942 national championship football team that went 9-0 and outscored its opponents 214-64 in the process. He was the co-captain of the team and went on to be the JC Player-of-the-Year before transferring to USC. After earing JC Player-of-the-Year honors at SAC in 1942, Cleary became a consensus All-American end at USC in 1947 afer three years in the service.

Cleary always downplayed his own abilities. "I was never spectacular," he said. "I didn't have the size or skill for it. I had the desire to excell, but I wasn't very fast. I always said if you knocked me down, I'd get u pan try again and try to learn from it."

Clearly was elected into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Cleary played professionally for the Chicago Hornets and the New York Yankees.