De La Salle High School Football Alumni: A Legacy of Excellence
De La Salle High School, a private Lasallian Catholic school for boys in Concord, California, has established a tradition of excellence both academically and athletically. With approximately 99% of each graduating class attending a university or college, the school is also renowned for its Spartans athletic program, particularly its football team. The Spartans' school colors are green and silver. De La Salle's football program is synonymous with success, marked by a record-breaking 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2004. This article explores the remarkable achievements of De La Salle High School football alumni, highlighting their contributions to college and professional football.
A Storied Football Program
De La Salle High School's football program achieved unprecedented success under the leadership of coach Bob Ladouceur, who began coaching at the school in 1979. The 151-game winning streak, which lasted from 1992 to 2004, is a testament to the program's dominance. During this period, De La Salle won 12 California North Coast Section championships and was named national champion seven times. The team's national championships were awarded by ESPN (1994), USA Today (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003), and the National Sports News Service (1999). The streak ended on September 4, 2004, with a loss to Bellevue High School of Bellevue, Washington.
In recent years, De La Salle has continued to excel, winning the California Open Division State Championships six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015). They appeared in the Open Division state title game every year from the division's founding in 2008 until 2019. Prior to that, they competed in Division I, where they were the 2007 State Champions and the 2006 and 2008 runner-up. They have won the North Coast Section championships every year since 1992, with the league's restructuring. From 1991 to 2021, they had a streak of 318 games without a loss when playing Northern California schools (going 316-0-2).
Notable Alumni
De La Salle High School has produced numerous talented football players who have gone on to achieve success at the collegiate and professional levels. Here are some of the most notable alumni:
Drew Barry ’91: A standout basketball alum.
Read also: Faith, Knowledge, and Service at La Salle
Brady Amack ’08: A football player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Blair Hurlock ’14: An athlete excelling in cross country and track & field.
Marquis Morris ’14: An athlete recognized for track & field and football.
Kent Mercer ’87: Longtime Head Athletic Trainer.
Amani Toomer: Considered one of the finest skill players to ever play at De La Salle, Toomer was a USA Today and Parade All-American as a senior. He signed with Michigan, where he earned all-Big Ten honors as a junior and senior. He became just the third receiver in school history to post a 1,000-yard receiving season after his junior year, racking up 54 catches for 1,096 yards and six touchdowns. Toomer was a second-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 1996 and played 12 seasons for the franchise. He finished his career holding several Giants records, including most catches, yards, and touchdowns, and helped the team upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Read also: A Look at La Salle Baseball
D.J. Williams: Many in the Bay Area consider Williams the best football player to ever play for the Spartans. He was a two-way star for De La Salle and the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation when he signed with Miami in 2000. Williams started at fullback for the Hurricanes as a true freshman before moving to linebacker his sophomore year and playing on the team's 2002 national championship squad. He earned All-American honors as a senior and was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. In 2004, Williams was a first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos and led the team in tackles his rookie season with 114. He started at all three linebacker positions for the Broncos and was second in the NFL in tackles with 141 during the 2007 season.
Maurice Jones-Drew: Jones-Drew became a Spartans legend when he scored all four touchdowns as a junior against Long Beach Poly in the first game to ever pit teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. He starred at UCLA for three years, earning All-American honors his junior year and setting a school record with 16 touchdowns of 40-plus yards. Jones-Drew was a second-round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006 and set a franchise record as a rookie with 303 all-purpose yards in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. He scored 12 touchdowns in 2008 and then made the Pro Bowl following the 2009 season after rushing for 1,391 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Matt Gutierrez: Considered the finest pro-style quarterback in school history, Gutierrez made the Elite 11 QB camp in 2001 and led the Spartans to a national championship as a senior. He signed with Michigan and was slated to be the starter in 2004 but suffered a shoulder injury before the season opener during warmups. Backup QB Chad Henne took over as the starter, and Gutierrez was never able to get the job back. He transferred to Idaho State in 2006 and played one season for the Cincinnati Bengals. The New England Patriots signed Gutierrez as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and he played two seasons for the Pats.
Derek Landri: One of the most highly decorated players to ever play at De La Salle, Landri was California's Mr. Football State Player of the Year as a senior (one of three Spartans to earn that honor, along with D.J. Williams in 1999 and Amani Toomer in 1991). He was a dominant two-way lineman and signed with Notre Dame to play defense, but a fluke accident, in which he broke his leg and tore all the ligaments in an ankle while falling off a bicycle, sidelined him his freshman year. He started the last three years for the Irish but never regained the same explosiveness he had back in high school. Landri was a fifth-round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2007 NFL draft. He played two years for the Jags and was picked up on waivers by the Carolina Panthers in 2009.
Aaron Taylor: Regarded as the best offensive lineman the school has ever produced, Taylor went on to star at Notre Dame, earning All-American honors in 1992 and 1993. In 1993, he won the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top linemen, and was also an Outland Trophy finalist. He started the final 30 games of his college career and was recently voted as one of the school's 25 best players since 1970. He was a first-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and started on the team's 1997 Super Bowl-winning team. He signed with the San Diego Chargers but retired in 1999 after numerous knee surgeries cut short his career.
Read also: A Look at La Salle University Alumni
T.J. Ward: Ward's story is remarkable, as he became an NFL starter without ever starting a high school game. He was relegated to a backup role with De La Salle until his senior season. The safety then suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason and missed his entire senior year. Ward walked on at Oregon and quickly earned a scholarship with his stellar play, but still battled injuries. As a redshirt freshman, Ward earned a starting spot at corner before a knee injury derailed his season. He led the Ducks in tackles as a junior and earned All-Pac-10 honors. As a senior, Ward suffered an ankle injury in the season opener but came back for the final six games of the season and finished fifth on the team in tackles.
Brandon Colvin: One of the most talented receivers the school has ever produced, Colvin played in the Army All-American game following his senior season, catching two touchdowns. He made his college choice live on ESPN, one of the first public announcements to be made on TV at the time, and shocked many when he committed to Oregon over Michigan. Colvin was one of the most hyped recruits the Ducks ever signed but battled a variety of injuries and never lived up to the enormous expectations. He finished his college career with 74 total catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns.
Alapati "AJ" Vitale: A two-year starter for the Spartans at receiver and corner, Vitale caught 15 touchdowns as a senior. He signed with Oregon, was a three-year starter for the Ducks, and led the team in catches, yards, and touchdown receptions each of those years. He finished his career third on the all-time receptions list, fourth in receiving yards, and fourth in touchdown receptions. He also holds the Oregon record for most 100-yard receiving games with 11. Williams was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played four seasons with the Ravens before signing as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 2010.
David Brien: Brien was the Spartans' kicker his senior season and ended up walking on at Cal. He would leave as the Bears' all-time leader in points (with 288) and field goal accuracy (hitting 56-of-70 attempts, 80 percent) for his career. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the third round. As a rookie, Brien won a Super Bowl ring in the 1994 season. His 17 PATs during the '94 playoffs remain a postseason record. Brien ended up kicking for 12 seasons for seven different teams, retiring in 2005.
Michael Bastianelli: Considered the finest veer-option quarterback DLS has ever produced, Bastianelli led the Spartans to their first national championship in 1994 while playing quarterback, defensive back, and kicker. He signed with USC as a receiver and played mostly as a reserve from 1995-98. He finished his career with 68 catches for 961 yards and four touchdowns.
Kevin Simon: Simon was among the nation's most heavily recruited players before signing with Tennessee. He was a three-time all-state selection for the Spartans, but his career was never the same after suffering a devastating knee injury playing in the Army All-American game following his senior year. Injuries followed the rest of his career as his redshirt freshman year was cut short by a broken ankle, and after leading the team in tackles his sophomore year, Simon tore his ACL, once again in the second game, in his junior season. Simon was still drafted in the seventh round of the 2006 draft by the Washington Redskins but never suited up for them.
Glenn Loverne: One of the school's finest two-way lineman, Loverne signed with Idaho before transferring to San Jose State following his freshman season. The New York Jets drafted Loverne in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft and played him primarily on special teams. He was traded to the Washington Redskins in the 2002 season and started the entire season at guard. He was then traded to the St. Louis Rams.
Derrick Lupoi: Regarded as one of the hardest-working players to ever play for the Spartans, Lupoi was a two-year starter and earned all-state honors as a senior. He attended Cal and played for the Bears for six seasons, as he was granted an extra year due to a medical redshirt. Lupoi then spent the 2006-07 seasons as a graduate assistant at Cal before being hired as the Bears' defensive line coach. He quickly made his mark as one of the nation's best recruiters and was named one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation by ESPN.com.
Paul Callen: Callen was a two-sport star for the Spartans, starring in both football and track. He was a two-time all-state selection at running back and signed with Arizona to play football. While at DLS, Callen also qualified for the state track finals in the 100 and 200 meters, clocking a personal best 10.62 in the 100.
Hall of Fame
De La Salle High School recognizes its outstanding athletes and coaches through its Athletic Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the school's athletic program. Recent inductees include:
Coach Greg Esler: Began coaching basketball at De La Salle in 1984 before heading to Lake Shore High School as its head coach in 1987. At Lake Shore, his team won the state Class B championship. While coaching at De La Salle, Esler led his varsity team to four CHSL tournament titles, 22 state district championships, and two state Final Four appearances. He retired from his DLS basketball career with a 425-199 record, having coached 188 varsity players in 26 seasons.
Tom, Bob, Fred & John Longe: Brothers who attended De La Salle and received numerous accolades, including All-City honors.
Victor Maraldo: Earned six varsity letters: three in baseball and three in football. In 1979, he was All-Catholic league in football, the year the team was an A-B Prep Bowl finalist. In 1980, his senior year, he was captain of the baseball team and captain of the football team, was All-Catholic league, and was All-State Class B.
Doug McKay: Has coached golf at De La Salle for 30 years. McKay was Catholic League Coach of the Year in 1996, 1998, and 2001. In 2008, he was named Michigan Golf Coaches Association Division 1 Coach of the Year; MIGCA District Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009, and 2013; and a seven-time MIGCA Regional Coach of the Year. McKay was inducted into the Catholic League Hall of Fame in 2012.
Mark Prylow: Was a three-year varsity letter winner for the De La Salle basketball team and a member of the Pilots’ 1988 Detroit Catholic League championship team as a sophomore. In 1990, Prylow earned several post-season honors, being named first-team All- Detroit Catholic League, All-Detroit Metro East, and All-Macomb County, while also being named Class A All-State by The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.
Mike Sokol: Was a three-sport student-athlete during his time at De La Salle, earning nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. Sokol holds the De La Salle single-game record, striking out 24 of 27 batters faced in a 3-2, 9- inning victory over Brother Rice. He went on to the University of Michigan, where he was a four-time letter winner in baseball.
John Sokolosky: Was a three-year varsity letterman in football. Also known as Bud, Soko, or Socko, Sokolosky was named All-Metro, All-Catholic, and an honorable mention All-State in his senior year. Sokolosky was invited to walk on for the Detroit Lions training camp and became the only free agent to make the team roster.
De La Salle in Popular Culture
The De La Salle football team has been the subject of two books:
- One Great Game: Two Teams, Two Dreams, in the First Ever National Championship High School Football Game, by Don Wallace, follows the undefeated 2001 season and national championship showdown with Long Beach Polytechnic High School and splits its focus between the two schools.
- When the Game Stands Tall was written by Contra Costa Times sportswriter Neil Hayes, who followed the team for practices, games, and meetings during its undefeated 2002 season. The foreword was written by former Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.
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