Football Alumni

For most Occidental College football players, the challenges which await them after graduation are more imposing than those presented by rival opponents on the gridiron. Facing the rigors of graduate school and a subsequent professional career, many football alums draw upon the knowledge and experience they gained at Occidental to advance into professions as diverse as the Tiger play book.

Please Note:The following information was retrieved from past Tiger Football Media guides.  Not all information may be current.

Steve Bailey
A. B. Occidental '82,
M.B.A. UCLA '84

The former Tiger captain and all-conference offensive lineman currently serves as the managing director of Pacific Financial Asset Management Corporation in Newport Beach. The investment holding company owns five money management firms that together manage more than $24 billion.

"I can't say I wouldn't have landed my current position, or even have been admitted to business school out of college, if I hadn't played football at Occidental," Bailey says. "But there's no doubt in my mind that I was evaluated more favorably because I'd been able to take on two challenging things at once."

Bailey had another valuable "team" experience at Oxy, serving as head of the Charles R. Blyth Fund, a student run investment program unique to Occidental and Stanford.
 

Jon Finstuen
A. B. Occidental '85,
M. S. Stanford '87

Winner of the Tigers' most valuable player award among running backs and receivers in 1983 and 1984, Finstuen continued his education after surviving two cuts in the 1986 training camp of the Los Angeles Rams. "Just because Oxy plays football in Division III, that doesn't make the program simple," Finstuen says. "Those are pro offenses and defenses they're teaching."

Since receiving his Master's in geophysics from Stanford, Finstuen has worked in Unocal's science and technology division. An avid rugby player, he began playing the sport on the club level while enrolled at Oxy and was able to tour England and Canada with the college side. "Occidental is an intense school," he says. "Athletics there not only was a release for me, it was where I developed my best friendships."

Finstuen still is active in rugby, having recently returned from the U.S. national team tryouts in Denver.
 

Louis Hook
A. B. Occidental '80
M.B.A. Harvard '84

"Football was a very beneficial part of my Oxy experience," says Hook, now director of the facilities division of Financial Operations at UCLA.

The two time all conference offensive lineman entered Occidental as a highly touted prep athlete from Narbonne High School in Los Angeles. Following his undergraduate and graduate studies, he worked as a corporate lending officer for Mellon Bank.

"When I was at Oxy, football really rounded out my experience," Hook says. "It wasn't the high glamour you find at big schools, it was the interpersonal things ... teamwork, friendships."
 

Dr. Charles P. Virden
A. B. Occidental '80,
M. D. USC -87

Dr. Virden came to Occidental from Rio Hondo Junior College and quickly established himself as one of the premier pass catchers in small college football. In 1979, he led NCAA Division III receivers in average catches per game (7.25) and yards per game (113).

"Team spirit and discipline are things that stayed with me from my playing time at Oxy through my medical career," Dr. Virden says. He currently is finishing his residency on the staff of University Hospital in San Diego, and soon will enter private practice as a plastic surgeon.
 

Joel Sheldon
A.B. Occidental '66

A member of the 1966 championship team under Head Coach Jim Mora and an inductee into the Bengal Football Alumni Hall of Fame, Sheldon distinguished himself on both sides of the ball. Playing linebacker and guard, Sheldon earned All-SCIAC honors in 1966 and 1967, Most Valuable Lineman ('66 & '67), Most Valuable Player (1967) and First Team All America (1967). A product of John Muir High School in Pasadena, Sheldon helped establish Occidental's rugby club in the spring of 1966 as an out-of-season activity for the football team.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, Sheldon went to work for Vroman's Books, Pasadena in 1972. Starting in the bookstore/receiving department, Sheldon's rise through the company can be attributed to a self taught, "on- the-job" business background. "Early on, much of my time was spent solving problems," says Sheldon. "Although I didn't know it at the time, Occidental helped me create the basis for dealing with business issues and the appropriate means by which to find answers. Not unlike constructing an essay, problem solving requires first defining the problem, then gathering the facts, followed by evaluation of those facts and a plan implemented to resolve the issue."

Sheldon was appointed president of Vroman's in 1978, becoming majority owner in 1982. Outside of the book industry, Sheldon is active with several volunteer organizations and charities, including the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce (Past President), Pasadena American Red Cross, American Youth Soccer Organization (Past Commissioner) and as a member of the Organizing Committee for the 1994 Los Angeles World Cup.
 

Bob Harjung
A.B. Occidental '82

Former grid star Bob Harjung has accomplished a lot since he first set foot on the Occidental campus in 1978. A graduate of Pius X in Downey, Harjung played two positions on the offensive line for three different coaches over a span of four seasons. Not satisfied resting on his football laurels, Harjung broadened his athletic prowess at Oxy by taking karate and playing rugby. A member of Alpha Tau Omega, Harjung was instrumental in helping create Occidental's In-School Scouting Program while working for Northwestern Life Insurance Company as an intern. True to the liberal arts theme, Harjung's collegiate experience possessed variety.

Unknown at the time, Harjung would also sample this same variety in the financial world. Beginning with Northwestern Life after graduation, Harjung soon parlayed his insurance background into a fledgling banking career. Serving as a loan officer for Crocker Bank for two years, Harjung then established himself in the industry by becoming one of Wells Fargo's youngest branch managers in 1986. After a brief stay as a manager with Bank of America, Harjung now finds himself as vice president and manager of Security Pacific's Wilshire & Grand office.

"In addition to the outstanding education I received at Occidental, much of my growth as a person occurred outside the classroom," says Harjung. " Football played a big role in my maturing process. The game taught me how to compete and succeed as well as help build lifelong friendships. That experience was essential in getting me started in business."

In his spare time, Harjung is active with numerous community and charity organizations including the "Say No To Drugs" Campaign in the Brea School District, the American Red Cross and the President's Circle at Occidental. Nominated to Who's Who among Rising Young Americans, Harjung is also a former member of the Executive Board of the Occidental College Tiger Club.
 

Dr. Dennis Chinn
A.B. Occidental '66
D.V.M. Colorado State '78

A two-time ALL-SCIAC performer and member of the 1965 championship team, Chinn has enjoyed success in two distinctly different professions. After earning his teaching credential at Occidental, the Football Hall of Fame inductee served on the Tigers' staff under Doug Gerhardt for three years. Following a one year stint as head coach at John Marshall High School, Chinn moved to Oklahoma, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons at the University of Tulsa. In 1973, Chinn was hired as an assistant coach at Colorado State University and entered CSU's Veterinarian Medical School in 1974.

Currently, Dennis is the Assistant Medical Director at the North Shore Animal League in Long Island, New York. "As a student, the study habits I developed at Oxy really made grad school and medical school much easier. In terms of my experiences as a player and coach at Oxy, it served well to prepare me for my duties in major college football. But most importantly, a day does not go by that I don't have fond memories of my time spent at Occidental," says Chinn.
 

Mark Garcia
A.B. Occidental '87
M.E. Candidate, Stanford

In addition to being a computer systems manager at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (one of the top astronautical research centers in the world), part of Garcia's job description includes "telling people in Deep Space Network when and where to look for certain spacecraft in the sky." Although Garcia isn't paid to look for UFO'S, Mark is looking forward to this fall when he will enroll at Stanford's Aeronautical and Astronautical School of Engineering.

Garcia's gridiron accomplishments are equally impressive. A three-time selection as an All-SCIAC defensive back, Garcia was also voted Co-Rookie of the Year in 1983 and received the Don Lyon Award as the team's top defensive back in 1986. Given Garcia's talents on defense, it's easy to see why Oxy won the conference in three of Mark's four years on the team. Yet, even with the demands of school and football, Mark found time to work part time at JPL writing computer programs during his junior and senior years.

Reflecting back on his football days at Oxy, Garcia feels that the experience of individuals learning to work as a team relates directly to his job at JPL. "Teamwork is something that is really underrated. At JPL, no one person does it all; teamwork is stressed, especially in areas of expertise. It's what gets things done," notes Garcia.
 

Darell Krasnoff
A.B. Occidental '79
M.B.A. Stanford '81

Teamwork is also a concept about which Darell Krasnoff feels strongly. Noting that there is "a value gained in working with other talented people," Krasnoff stressed that being a student-athlete at Occidental really helped him to "strike a balance between academics and outside activities."

Yet, for Krasnoff, who was a four year performer at linebacker and co-captain in 1978, it was his outstanding achievements in the classroom which earned him recognition as a true scholar-athlete. An economics major, Darell graduated Cum Laude and was a member of the economics honor society, Omnicron Delta Epsilon. An officer in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Krasnoff enrolled at Stanford Business School in 1979 and earned his Master's of Business Administration. Krasnoff went to work for Goldman Sachs & Company in 1981 and is a Vice President responsible for investment strategies and implementation for large accounts.
 

Daryl Ogden
A.B. Occidental '87
M.A. Univ. of Washington '90

As a freshman at Oxy in 1983, wide receiver Ogden discovered that he wasn't ready to move into the starting lineup. "I was completely unprepared to make the adjustment from high school to college," says the 1986 Roy Dennis Coaches Award recipient. "I wasn't in shape when I reported and spent the year as a back-up receiver. That first season had a profound effect on me. I vowed to never let myself be in such a position again."'

Subsequently, Ogden's career at Occidental flourished. The sure handed wideout started every game his junior and senior years, and led Tiger receivers with 5 catches in Oxy's 1985 playoff victory against St. John's.  Academically, Daryl equaled his gridiron heroics by winning the Senior Scholar Athlete Award in 1987 and qualifying as a Rhodes Scholar candidate. After completing his Master's at the University of Washington, Daryl started teaching English literature classes at Washington while beginning work on his doctorate in 19th century Victorian literature.
 

Dan Osborn
A.B. Occidental '84
J.D. Loyola Law School '87

A quarterback/punter for the Tigers during the early 1980's, Osborn is the quintessential scholar-athlete. The philosophy major led the nation in punting (44.6 average) in 1982 and was selected to the Kodak and Associated Press All-America teams. Dan's kicking achievements rank him third on the all time NCAA Division III career list (157 punts/6,528 yards/41.6 average), and earned him a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs. Although the Chiefs elected to sign two punters ahead of him (Jim Arnold and Don Bracken), Osborn decided to return to California and enroll in law school.

Following his graduation from Loyola Law School, Osborn passed the California Bar Exam in December of 1987 and went to work for the firm of McClintock and Kirwan in Los Angeles. In March of 1989, Osborn moved to New York City and signed on with Brown and Wood where he now works as a litigation associate. "Playing football at Occidental forced me to discipline my time between academics and athletics," says Osborn. "The experience I gained from trying to excel
in two areas really helped prepare me for my professional pursuits."
 

William Jefferson
A.B. Occidental '79

A three-time All-SCIAC selection, William Jefferson has long been regarded as one of the finest defensive backs in school history. Jefferson's signature was his "collision style" of football, clinically flattening opponents with bone jarring tackles. A man who let his actions speak for him on the field, William's four year legacy marked the beginning of Occidental Football's climb to greatness.

Since graduation, Jefferson's life has evolved unlike that of any other football alum. Pursuing a career as an international rugby player, Jefferson's fortunes have skyrocketed over the past ten years. Since leaving the United States in 1983, William has gained international stature as a world class rugby star. Named to the U.S. National Team six consecutive times, Jefferson spent two years playing professionally in England, one year in New Zealand and the past seven in France.

It has been his seasons in France where William has found his greatest success. "I've toured throughout the world, been chosen as a member of the French 100th Anniversary Club and have even worked as a broadcaster for World Cup matches on European television," says the top try scorer in France. "I've been incredibly lucky to have had this string of success."
 

Steve Bernstein
A.B. Occidental '67
M.A. Utah State '72

"Occidental was a unique and challenging place to go to college," says Steve Bernstein, defensive coach for the University of Texas.  "In my day, the competition to get into grad school was so intense that if the professor assigned a 10 page paper, everyone would turn in 25."  A 24-year veteran of the coaching profession, Bernstein was a dynamic running back for coach Jim Mora during the glory days of the mid-1960's. "I had great coaches at Oxy and the professors were very approachable. I don't think I ever had a professor who wasn't interesting."

Following graduation in 1967, Steve joined the U.S. Marines and was a decorated platoon leader in the Vietnam War. In 1970, he joined the coaching staff at Utah State and moved on to Wake Forest in 1973. Bernstein coached at Virginia Tech from 1978 to 1984 and at Colorado from 1985 to 1987. Steve joined head coach John Mackovic's staff at Illinois in 1988 and followed Mackovic to Texas in 1992. Since 1980, Steve has coached in eight bowl games. In summing up his Oxy experience, Bernstein says: "Completing a liberal arts education is a very demanding and special achievement. Earning it from Occidental College makes it even more meaningful."
 

Tony Ferguson
A.B. Occidental '90

Tony credits the work ethic he developed at Oxy as a key to his success in medical school. "I remember how difficult it was to force myself to study after a hard practice," says the 1990 Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winner. "But now that I'm faced with 110 hour work weeks in the hospital, I'm thankful that I developed some discipline at Oxy."

A three year starter on the defensive line and All-SCIAC pick as a senior, Tony is applying for an orthopedics residency starting in 1994. "I felt that Occidental did a great job of preparing me academically and socially for med school," says Ferguson. "Having played in a team concept, I'm able to excel in my work rotations at the hospital." A biology major who graduated cum laude, Tony somehow manages to find time for his hobby of archery, participating in occasional competitions.
 

Paul Finchamp
A.B. Occidental '80

A two position All-American as a receiver and punter, Paul's accomplishments since leaving Occidental parallel his gridiron success. An insurance executive with The Guardian in Glendale, Finchamp's approach to life is simple, decide what's important to you and give it 100% effort. A proponent of service above self, Paul is the youngest president-elect and chairman of the board in the 107-year history of the Pasadena YMCA. He serves on the St. Luke Hospital Advisory Board, is president of the Life Underwriters Association of the San Gabriel Valley and is involved with the Planned Giving Department at Occidental.

"My Occidental experience is one that I will always cherish," says Finchamp. "I remember the relationships I developed with the teaching faculty. People like Jim Halstead, Ben Culley and Mike MacAleenan were exceptionally approachable, low key people who took a sincere interest in your academic performance." An economics major, Paul credits athletics with keeping him interested in Oxy. "I've learned to use athletics as a metaphor for setting goals and satisfying my need to compete. The liberal arts education I received at Oxy has helped me to become a well rounded, socially skilled person."
 

Jeff Goldstein
A.B. Occidental '86

"There are several similarities between playing football and working in the business world," says former Occidental great Jeff Goldstein. "Success in either arena is dependent upon discipline and teamwork. Much like a running back relies on his blockers, a salesperson depends on his suppliers. In both cases, when someone 'drops the ball', the whole team suffers the setback, but there are great lessons to be learned from such ordeals."

An all-conference running back and two time winner of the Jack Kemp Award, Goldstein's extraordinary business career has been built on cornerstones of sacrifice, tenacity and dedication to purpose. Following graduation, Jeff was selected from an applicant pool of 60 candidates to work for Kent H. Landsberg Company, the largest industrial paper company in the Los Angeles area. Specializing in the packaging of manufacturers' products, Landsberg hired Goldstein as a salesman to represent its Los Angeles/ South Bay territory.

In 1992, Jeff was promoted to sales manager and then training manager a year later. "When I first went to work for the company, there was no formal training program in place," says Goldstein. After calculating some sales statistics, Goldstein got company approval to establish a formal sales- training program for new employees. Today, Landsberg provides a five week training school followed by a two year stint in Goldstein's "Rookie Club," a weekly association that teaches all aspects of salesmanship.

Jeff looks back fondly on his days at Occidental. "I was privileged to be part of a great group of football players who stayed together for four years. We played in the most exciting, incredible games ... nothing was more fun. We all took pride in being winners. Our success as a team was the direct result of being disciplined and relying on each other."

Scott Grosse
A.B. Occidental '84
M.D. University of Washington '92

When Scott Grosse visited several of Southern California's small colleges during the spring of his high school senior year, he was told by one coach that he "wasn't big enough" to play football. "That's when I decided to enroll at Occidental and prove that coach wrong," says Grosse.

Score one for the Tigers.

Barely tipping the scales at 175 pounds, Scott went on to distinguish himself on two national playoff teams. An All-SCIAC pick as a sophomore linebacker, Grosse twice earned all-conference honors as a defensive noseguard during his junior and senior years and capped off his career by being tabbed first team All-America by Football Digest. Says head coach Dale Widoiff: "Without hesitation, Scott ranks as one of the best football players at Occidental during my tenure."

Following graduation, Grosse played one season of professional football in Italy, and then returned to serve as an assistant coach at Oxy in 1986. It was then that Scott began thinking about his future. "Even though I majored in art at Occidental, I had thought a lot about attending medical school."

In 1992, Scott graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine and entered a four year residency program with an emphasis in physical medicine and rehabilitation. "I've got 19 months left in my residency at Harborview Medical Center, and then I'll be board certified," says Grosse, who plans to specialize in trauma cases.

Scott says that most of his memories about Occidental involve the football team. "I still have several good friends who were teammates. We went through a lot of the same experiences together and were very supportive of each other. The best lesson I learned playing football at Occidental was to always be tenacious, to never give up. I'm reminded of those qualities every time I work, with a trauma patient who's fighting to recover."
 
 

Scott Pogorelc
A.B. Occidental '87
M.S. Univ. of Colorado '91

A member of four SCIAC championship teams during the mid-1980's, including three consecutive trips to the national playoffs, Scott Pogorelc's gridiron heroics are equalled by his post-Occidental accomplishments. Following graduation in 1987, the two- time all-SCIAC defensive lineman and physics major earned his master's degree in Aerospace Engineering (emphasis: Satellite Orbit Determination) from the University of Colorado.

Pogorelc's expertise in satellite navigation landed him a job with Stanford Telecom of Reston, Virginia in 1991. Says Scott: "Technically, I have a very challenging job. Currently, we're under contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a prototype system using wide area GPS (Global Positioning System) as a sole navigation source for commercial air craft approaches and landings. GPS is the most accurate global navigational system in world history. Its diverse application will be widely used by both the military and commercial sectors. Within five years, it will be the dominant navigational system in the world."

Reflecting back on his years at Occidental, Scott values greatly the long standing friendships that he forged. "The hardest thing about moving away from Southern California was leaving my college friends behind. I've met other Occidental alums here on the East Coast and I truly feel that Oxy graduates are the most accomplished group of people that I know."