The San Jose Mustangs were a professional football team that played in 1944 and 1945 in the Pacific Coast Football League.
1944 Season
The San Jose Mustangs moved from Alameda and began play in San Jose’s Spartan Stadium for the 1944 season. Eddie Vallejo out of Cal led the team with three touchdowns. They finished fourth, going 2-4 in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, behind the 9-0 San Diego Bombers, San Francisco Bay Packers and the Oakland Giants.
1944 Football Standings
1944 AFL Standings
Team
W
L
T
Pct
PF
PA
Hollywood Rangers
11
0
0
1.000
376
83
San Francisco Clippers
7
3
0
.700
193
120
Seattle Bombers
5
5
1
.500
200
157
Portland Rockets
3
6
0
.333
163
205
Los Angeles Wildcats
2
4
2
.333
133
171
San Diego Gunners
2
4
1
.333
42
161
Los Angeles Mustangs
3
7
0
.300
105
201
Oakland Hornets
0
4
0
.000
14
128
1944 PCPFL Standings
Team
W
L
T
Pct
PF
PA
San Diego Bombers
9
0
0
1.000
335
54
San Francisco Bay Packers
4
3
0
.571
107
122
Oakland Giants
4
3
0
.571
46
86
San Jose Mustangs
2
4
0
.333
69
109
Los Angeles Bulldogs
2
5
0
.286
105
168
Hollywood Wolves
0
6
0
.000
46
169
1944 Mustangs Roster
Player
No.
Pos.
Ht
Wt
Age
College
Dick Borgmann
14
E
6-3
210
Bob Boucke
2
RH
5-10
190
31
San Jose State
Burns Campbell
40/50
RE-LE
6-2
210
29
Santa Clara
Chuck Campbell
42
G
5-11
205
San Jose State
Bob Carlin
19
T
6-2
225
25
Rhode Island
George Cosgrove
5
RG-LG
5-11
185
30
Santa Clara
Bob DeBenedictis
11
LG-RG
5-11
185
Santa Clara
Ed Duncan
16
RT
6-2
205
32
St. Mary’s (California)
Carl Gerner
99/45
RH-LH
6-2
200
32
St. Mary’s (California)
Al Gomez
7
HB
5-11
180
San Francisco State
Al Gordon
48
LT
6-3
230
Kansas
Guy Hancock
15
E
6-2
200
25
None
Fred Harris
46
FB
6-2
200
Ernie Hesse
41
HB
5-10
180
29
San Jose State
Bill Hodkin
8
LH
6-1
185
23
Sierra JC
Rusty Jacobes
45
C
6-1
210
34
California
Dick Jerome
25
RT-LT
6-2
215
25
None
John Kaleimamo
43/44
C
6-3
200
25
None
Stu Kenton
13
QB
6-2
190
Oklahoma
Herb Kiekenapp
3
RH-LH
5-9
168
24
Washington
Stu McCullough
50/77
LH-QB
6-1
185
Stanford
R.E. McIntyre
9
FB
5-10
192
Southern Methodist
Red Perkins
18
FB
5-10
220
31
Santa Clara
Chuck Rhoeder
20
LE-RE
6-3
220
Pomona-Pitzer
Jack Robles
6
QB
5-10
170
None
Joe Scalia
1
QB
5-9
170
San Mateo JC
Frank Sobrero
10
HB
6-3
210
31
Santa Clara
Buff Stratton
40
HB
5-11
175
Utah
Frank Sweeny
12
LE
6-1
185
George Theodoratos
48/52
LT-RT
6-3
240
32
Washington State
Eddie Vallejo
4
LH
5-10
170
31
California
Jerry Waldrip
17
C
6-3
210
Roy Youngblood
44/34
G
5-8
220
Oklahoma
1945 Season
The Mustangs finished last in a revamped league, going 0-5. The San Jose team was sold and moved to Utah. The league would peter out over the next two seasons, ending the PCPFL. The NFL moved West in 1946 starting play with the Los Angeles Rams, and local 49ers team joined the NFL in 1950, filling the void for professional football.
Star halfback Frank Sobrero was Santa Clara University favorite and a four year Mustang, from the Alameda days. Most of the players were standout college players who didn’t quite make the cut for the NFL when it came in to replace the regional league.
