Bill Gulley
Football, Class of 2004

Over the course of two consecutive seasons, no one in the Santa Ana College football program has enjoyed as much success at the quarterback position than Bill Gulley.

In his two seasons as the Dons’ signal-caller, Gulley guided Santa Ana College to a 20-1 overall record, two Eastern Conference titles and a national championship in 1942.

Gulley is credited with several memorable moments in Santa Ana College’s long-standing rivalry with Fullerton College. As a freshman, the Dons beat Fullerton, 6-0, when Gulley completed a pass to Everett Winkler in front of 15,000 fans on Thanksgiving Day. Later that year he returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdowns against Sacramento, a record that still stands today.

As a sophomore, he gave Santa Ana College its second national title in three years when he completed a school-record, 99-yard touchdown pass to Chuck Page to give the Dons a 13-12 win over Fullerton in the season finale.

He earned All-Eastern Conference, All-Southern California and Helms Athletic Foundation honors in both seasons he played for Santa Ana College. Gulley also played baseball for the Dons in 1942.

Gulley transferred to Stanford University in 1943 before concluding his football career at Califironia Institute of Technology (CIT) in Pasadena, California. He was captain of the 1944 CIT football team that finished the season undefeated, untied and unscored upon. It is the only college football team in the United States to have that distinction.

Gulley is also a member of the International Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame.