The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Patch and is being reprinted with permission.
At least one former CSM player has earned a ring in all five of the 49ers previous Super Bowl victories. Former Bulldog players have earned 11 Super Bowl rings in those five previous 49er triumphs. Former CSM players and coaches have a total of 16 Super Bowl rings with all teams.
Current 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari, a former CSM player, is responsible for the NFL’s top front line, which unleashes the team’s versatile offense. He already has earned one ring as a coach during San Francisco’s last Super Bowl win, in the 1994-95 season and is the 49ers’ primary returnee from that title team.
Solari has some of the same roots as another former CSM star, John Madden. Both are from Daly City, played at CSM, and later coached at a JC before winning Super Bowl rings as coaches. Solari played for former CSM head coach Ted Tollner at San Diego State. His Aztecs teammates included future successful NFL head coaches Herman Edwards and John Fox, both also JC transfers.
CSM is considered the “birthplace of the West Coast offense” – where Bill Walsh first played quarterback in college. — Walsh, of course, has three rings as head coach of San Francisco’s 1982, 1985, and 1989 teams. — Former CSM player Bill Ring earned rings as a player in 1982 and 1985. — Former CSM player and coach Neal Dahlen has five rings, as a director of player personnel during all five of those San Francisco super seasons. He then received two more as general manager of the Denver Broncos – for a “world record” seven rings.
New England’s loss in the AFC championship game prevented CSM from “clinching” a ring for this year (with former players on both sides). Former CSM option QB Julian Edelman is on the Patriots’ roster. Both Tom Brady and Edelman were tutored at CSM’s College Heights stadium by Bulldog coaches. Edelman starred for the Patriots this season doing just about everything with the ball except throwing it before suffering an injury last month. Although Brady did not play for the Bulldogs, he has spent as much time as anyone at CSM, learning the throwing trade from his lifelong personal coach – and former CSM head coach — the late Tom Martinez.
Current San Mateo head coach Bret Pollack was offensive coach when Edelman starred as an option quarterback for the Bulldogs in 2005, throwing for 1,312 yards (14 TDs) and rushing for a CSM record 1,253 yards (17 TDs) in an All-America season. Larry Owens was the head coach that year as San Mateo went 8-3, including a Bulldog Bowl game victory.
