"Why is this game so important? It's because Joe Roth, who played quarterback in the mid-'70s, is probably the most beloved football player in Cal history. The sky was the limit for him, his head coach, Mike White, told me. He definitely would have been the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft. He had all the skills, plus a great work ethic, but, most important, he had the temperament."
"The only other quarterbacks I've ever seen with a temperament like that were Joe Montana and Tom Brady. It wasn't his football skills that made people love him, though; it was the kind of person he was. He was a devout Catholic who took his faith's teachings seriously, so he treated everyone with kindness and respect. Although he was the team's star, he was always the first one to take newcomers under his wing and make them feel like they were part of the team."
"Traditionally played at home against USC in odd years and UCLA in even years, it was collateral damage from the sudden collapse of the Pac-12 Conference, which resulted in the L.A. schools being in the Big Ten and Cal last year moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was too late to reschedule the game last year or this one, but the game will return next year when the Bears play UCLA at home on Sept. 5."
The Joe Roth Memorial Game will return next year when Cal hosts UCLA on Sept. 5, with future plans aiming for the first home game each season. The game was paused after the Pac-12 Conference collapsed and conference realignments placed the Los Angeles schools in the Big Ten while Cal moved to the ACC, preventing rescheduling last season and this season. Joe Roth was a celebrated mid-1970s Cal quarterback, admired for exceptional skill, work ethic, and rare temperament. He was known for devout faith, treating everyone with kindness, mentoring newcomers, and supporting women's athletes in the early post-Title IX era.
Read at www.eastbaytimes.com
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