Jim Londos must rank as one of the all-time greatest wrestlers. He held the world professional title for 14 years, winning it first in 1930 from Dick Schikat at Philadelphia in a one hour and 29 minute match. After holding it for five years, he lost the crown to Danno O’Mahoney at Boston, but regained it two years later, pinning one-time football great Bronko Nagurski in one hour and 27 minutes at Philadelphia. Jim kept the title until his retirement in 1946. During his 34-year wrestling career, Londos went to the mat some 2,000 times, defeating the world’s best, among them George Zaharias and Ed (Strangler) Lewis.

He was born Chris T. Theophelos, but assumed the name Londos after a sports writer told him he looked like the author Jack London. He was less than 5’8” and never weighed more than 200 pounds. Some of his bouts went as long as three hours, and were extremely punishing to both parties. He couldn’t remember the name of his toughest opponent, but remembered the match very well. “About 1935, I met a 6’5” Indian in St. Louis who jumped on me at the outset and broke five of my ribs. I went on to win the match, but it was six months before I could return to the ring.”

In another of his greatest matches, Londos defeated the Russian Kola Kowriani in Athens, Greece – his homeland – before 100,000 spectators in Olympic Stadium. Another 50,000 were outside, unable to buy tickets. Afterwards, Jim received the Gold Cross of Phoenix from King Paul of Greece for being a champion and carrying the title with distinction. This also was recognition for wrestling a number of matches for Greek charities.

Jim was praised in retirement as the last holdout for dignity and integrity in professional wrestling before it plunged into the ridiculous. He died in 1975 at his home in Escondido, just north of San Diego, where he lived for 25 years. His age at the time of his death was believed to be about 80, although Jim never knew his own age for sure.

In 1968 the expansion San Diego Rockets had the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. With their pick the Rockets selected a 6’9 ½” center that went by the nickname “The Big E.”

Elvin Hayes had stormed onto the national basketball scene while at the University of Houston. With his notorious turnaround jump shot, Hayes became a three-time All-America, and led the Cougars to an 81-12 record and two Final Four appearances. He wowed basketball fans across the country in the first-ever nationally televised college game in history, when he held UCLA’s Lew Alcindor to 15 points, while scoring 39 himself, with 15 rebounds. Houston’s victory, in what has since been called “The Game of the Century,” concluded the Bruin’s 47-game win streak. Hayes ended his collegiate career by being selected as the College Player of the Year by The Sporting News.

Hayes moved seamlessly from the college ranks to the pros. He led the NBA in scoring as a rookie in 1969, averaging 28.4 points-per game. He ranked fourth in the league with 17.1 rebounds, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He also set an NBA rookie record for minutes played in a season (3,695), averaging 45.1. In his first season as a pro, Hayes helped lead the Rockets to a 37-45 record in 1968-69 and a spot in the playoffs; it was a 22-victory improvement over the previous year. Despite his success, Hayes missed out on NBA Rookie of the Year Award to Wes Unseld of the Baltimore Bullets, who also earned league MVP honors as well.

Elvin Hayes played in San Diego for three seasons before the Rockets moved to Houston. In that short period he scored 2,311 points and totaled 4,154 rebounds. But more importantly, he became one of the dominant players in the game and San Diego’s first professional basketball star.

The Rockets left San Diego following the 1970-1971 season, and Hayes went with them. He played one year in Houston before being traded to the Baltimore Bullets in June of 1972. He stayed with the Bullets through the 1980-1981 season. While with the Bullets (the team moved from Baltimore to Washington in 1973), Hayes teamed with fellow future Hall of Famer Wes Unseld to form a dominating frontcourt combination.

Things took a surprising turn for Hayes and the Bullets during the 1977-78 season. Washington posted a modest 44-38 record that year, but they caught fire in the playoffs, eliminating the Atlanta Hawks, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Philadelphia 76ers en route to the NBA Finals against another unsung team, the Seattle SuperSonics.

Seattle and Washington exchanged wins through the first six games, setting up a Game 7 showdown in Seattle. Washington won the final game 105-99, and the Bullets took home the NBA Championship. During the Bullets’ postseason run Hayes averaged 21.8 points.

At last, after 10 seasons in the NBA, Hayes had a championship ring and partial vindication for at least some of the criticism that had dogged him along the way. “Finally winning the championship completes the picture,” Hayes remarked, “because no one can ever again say that E’s not a champion.”

From Washington, Elvin Hayes was traded back to the Houston in 1981 and played three seasons with the Rockets before retiring in 1984.

Elvin Hayes played 16 years in the National Basketball Association and retired as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He scored 27,313 points in 1,303 professional games. His 21 points-per-game average was third best in NBA history at the time of his retirement. He pulled down 16,279 career rebounds, a 12.5 average per game, again third best in history at the time of his retirement. He also had played more minutes than any other player in history, 49,006, an average of 37.6 per game.

Hayes made the All-NBA First Team in 1975, 1977 and 1979, and the second team in 1973, 1974 and 1976. He was a twelve-time NBA All-Star during the period 1969-1980, but he received the two ultimate compliments for a basketball player after his career had ended. He chosen as a member of the Induction Class of 1990 to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 1996 he was chosen as one of professional basketball’s top 50 players during the NBA’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 1996.

Now Elvin Hayes can add one more line to his long and distinguished basketball resume, his induction into the Brietbard Hall of Fame.

• First overall pick in the 1968 draft
• All-NBA First Team (1975,1977,1979)
• All-NBA Defensive Team (1974, 1975)
• Twelve-time NBA All-Star (1969-80)
• Scored 27,313 points (21.0 ppg) in 1,303 professional games, third best in history upon retirement
• Grabbed 16,279 rebounds (12.5 rpg) in 1,303 professional games, third best in history upon retirement
• Upon retirement, played more minutes (49,006, 37.6 mpg) than any player in history
• Upon retirement, ranked third all-time in games played (1,303) and blocked shots (1,743) NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)
• Led the league in scoring (1969) with 28.4 ppg, his best professional scoring season

Lance Alworth remains one of the Chargers’ most popular players ever. While playing for the Bolts from 1962 through 1970, he caused many to regard him as one of football’s all-time best pass receivers. In 1978, he became the first player from the defunct American Football League to be enshrined in Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was selected to the All-AFL team seven consecutive years and was named to the all-time All-AFL team.

His popularity with the national television audience could even be considered as one factor behind the 1966 announcement of the AFL-NFL merger. When Lance signed with the Chargers back in 1962 as an All-America halfback from the University of Arkansas, a heated competition was broiling between the AFL and the NFL to sign the top collegiate players. The Chargers’ signing of Alworth was a major coup for the AFL. And the man who signed Alworth for San Diego? Beloved assistant Charger coach Al Davis, the man Bolt fans later loved to hate.

His nickname was “Bambi” and it was a perfect fit. “He runs like a deer” was the assessment of a teammate, watching him dart away from potential tacklers like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. His graceful running style and jumping ability when settling under a long John Hadl pass furthered the image. Lance had plenty of speed, too, as a 9.6 and 21.2 sprinter for the Arkansas track team. Even his sister was a Mississippi prep record holder in the sprints.

Lance was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1977, the first player so honored. Another honor he still enjoys boasting about is winning a Mexican fishing tournament by boating a 456-pound black marlin.

Ambrose “Amby” Schindler was an elusive, high-stepping ball-carrier for USC’s Trojans in 1936, 1937 and 1939, missing the 1938 season while recovering from knee surgery. He was named MVP of the 1940 Rose Bowl as he led USC to a 14-0 win over Tennessee. Amby scored a rare grand slam when he was named MVP that same year in the 1940 College All-Star game in Chicago against the NFL champion Green Bay Packers.

Amby captained the track team at San Diego High while participating in the high hurdles and high jump in addition to his football prowess for the Cavemen. He also was a teammate of Ted Williams in American Legion baseball in San Diego. After Navy service during WWII, he was the first football and track coach at El Camino College in the Los Angeles area from 1947 to 1958, and was later inducted into the El Camino Hall of Fame for coaching the school’s first championship football team.

Amby has revealed a troubling secret about one of the Trojans’ big games against Notre Dame. In their 1936 contest, he set up near his own 10-yard line as the returner of an Irish punt. He let the ball bounce, tried to get away from it, but was horrified when the ball grazed his leg and rolled into the end zone where several of the Irish fell on the ball for an apparent touchdown. But none of the game officials had a clear view of the play and ruled the play a touchback, and thus USC’s ball on the 20 with no Notre Dame score. Racked with guilt feelings, honest Amby approached the referee to tell him what had actually happened. But, realizing that he was about to ‘fess up, his teammates bodily carried the protesting Amby off the field and ordered him to keep his mouth shut. The Irish were thus deprived of the winning touchdown and the game ended in a 13-13 tie. A year later, Amby met some of the Notre Dame players, told them what had happened, and had to endure their fury about being deprived a treasured victory against their arch-rival Trojans.

Career Statistical Notes:

• Two-time All-Southern California Honor Team as a running back for SDHS
• SDHS posted a 16-3-2 record during 1933 and 1934, Schindler’s two years at varsity.
• Most Valuable Player (MVP), 1940 Rose Bowl
• Most Valuable Player (MVP), 1940 College All-Star Game
• USC’s leading rusher in 1937, gaining 599 yards on 134 rushes (4.5 yards per carry)