Aztecs Super Fan Cheers On Team for 758th Straight Game

You are listening to midday edition on KPBS I am Tom Fudge. Tom Ables attended San Diego State right out of the Navy in World War II. Since graduation he seemed 757 Aztecs football games. Actually this last weekend's home opener made it 758. He's traveled to states and foreign countries and has not missed one game since 1964. I spoke with him on Friday before this year's home opener. Will Tom tell us a little bit about your background. I started as a freshman in 1946. Interestingly it -- in contrast to today's world of wine of the 80,000 tried to get in and only if you do. In August 1946 I was still in the engine room and the battleship Alabama. A month later I was sports editor of the Aztec newspaper. So you did not play football but you are a sports journalist. Right. After being and the SportsCenter I became the sports publicity director and helps the original booster group and stayed involved ever since. Watching the Aztecs in these days it must've been a wonderful experience for you. It was a lot of fun. Where did they play in those days? Aztec bowl. That was the home of the football team and for how long after you were there did they play. They played some games at Balboa Stadium or the bigger facility and then by whatever the first year of what is now QUALCOMM they made to that Stadium. It used to be called the murders. Jack Murphy Stadium. Originally San Diego Stadium and then Jack Murphy and then QUALCOMM. Getting back to your experience in college you are in the military in World War II and then he went to San Diego State and afterwards he got involved in business eventually. I still have -- I run my own business. It's called venture. I have been and what we call the marketing communications field for -- since 1947. I guess being an alumnus and a football fan has been your other part-time job to I've been -- I've dedicated a lot of time because I have traveled all the road game since 1946. I have seen 757 games. This is my 70th season and in all that time I have missed two road games total. When you become a fan of the college football team do you say to yourself I'm not going to miss the game. Or did you just fall into it somehow. People ask the question and I am not sure when I really got into the boat of I'm not going to miss that game. I just went because it was fun and I got to the players and coaches. I have to's -- I have to admit that any use of -- recent years I'm determined to keep the streak alive. You can tell when I come in leaving -- leading on my came I'm not the most agile guy but I sat in a rut -- sidelines of every road game. You sat through some tough seasons. [Indiscernible] comes to mind. When was that. The late 50s to 1960. Until 1961 when Don Coryell came and changed our football world forever. We will get back to him in a little bit. First let's talk about your annual countdown to football season. Why don't you just describe it for us. My son who really does the hard work tried last year to do a count down and last year we basted on us dad -- Istat of some kind. With every number of years the Aztecs have played football in last year tied to a record. This year we take uniform numbers of outstanding players and features that player and all his debts. You started with number what? 91. 91st season. I have gotten on your email list. Every day for the last couple weeks I've been getting some of these emails. When we talk about some of these players. Number nine. Ryan. Tell us about him. Even before his Aztec world he played on a Little League team here that won the world championship He is a San Diego and. He was a great quarterback for us and always remember a lot of people say -- he wasn't a big guy so he won't last long in the NFL. He will get you to. He had a long career with most valuable player and all kinds of honors. Then he became a very successful high school football coach or -- here before he joined our staff. He was number nine and it says here he played 1969 to 1971. Drafted by Cleveland in 1972 and played 10 NFL seasons. The Mac at a long career. There you go. That's number nine. Did he play for Coryell? Yes. He was here 372. There may actually be some people that may have never heard from -- of Don Coryell. Why was he such a great coach. Everybody -- you could quote the win loss record stats and passing but you had to know the man. He was the most incredible. I've been friends with most of the coaches the Aztecs of ever had because I've been around for so long but and Don Coryell had a number of unique polities. He had the unique ability to touch -- to judge talent. He had a personality and character and you can talk to anybody who ever played for him and you will hear without hesitation that they just love the man. They created a team -- he was a master psychologist as well as a master coach. Did he go on to coach in the pros? St. Louis and the Chargers. One of the great disgraces is that the NFL Hall of Fame does not have him and it. He changed Pro football first for his offense which necessitated changes in defense. He changed football. He was incredible and a great guy. You are listening to midday edition. My guest is Tom Ables. He's an alumnus of San Diego State and he is -- I've -- I think it's fair to say the Aztecs number one football fan. He does a countdown of the days it takes before the first Aztec football game of the season. Let's talk about another player. This is a guy who was recent. Leon McFadden. What position did he play but --? He was defensive back. He ended up playing in the effort -- nfl and he currently plays for San Francisco. He was like so many of the defensive backs you have he was really effective. I know it's not your question but it's a good example. We have both KC and of course JJ Whitaker who are two of the best defensive backs anywhere. Our defensive secondary should be very strong this season. Right now I know you want to talk about the old guys but with the new state -- season so close -- It -- go ahead. I'm fired up about that. Do you think it will go well for the Aztecs is your? -- This year. I really do. Year-by-year just not strength of the team but the quality of the players as both athletes and people they are just absolutely a great bunch of young guys dedicated to the program. He was number six in your countdown. Darnay Scott played 1991 to 1993. He was a receiver and drafted by Cincinnati. Are there any players that you really remember any really like that you want to talk about that were in your countdown? Really three from the same team back in 66. Haven Moses probably of all the great receivers we had maybe the best of the ball. Had a great pro career in Denver. His name is up on their wall of honor in the stadium and also in that same team Don Horn one of our great quarterbacks of all time. Jimmy high a tremendous defensive lineman that people could don't remember the Coryell Arrowood and believe that he is a defensive layer. He was quick and very effective. So those three have stayed good friends of mine. -- That's one of the fun things for me. I can go through a whole list of years of players that I have stayed in contact with and they are friends. And all of the San Diego State Aztecs. Before we are done talking let's talk about the stadium. But talk about the possibility of the Chargers leaving town and moving to LA and if that's the case QUALCOMM Stadium will lose their primary tenet and it looks like the Aztecs might need to find a different place to play or even build a stadium. What you think about that. If you're drinking to wear with the Aztecs and up playing -- if your dream came true where with the Aztecs and the plane from My concern is are we going to have a stadium in time at the other one goes. One of the things that I have no inside information but one of the things that has been bandied about is the take over of the whole area. We want to have a stadium there and it makes sense to me. I certainly have not. It's not -- are not part of the planning group but we have to find a stadium because frankly there is an and other one available anymore in that city. I am not part of the planning group either. One question I did want to throw in their is when you follow the team it's not just in San Diego that you have actually followed them to foreign countries. We had a great trip to Tokyo for a game and it was really kind of fascinatingly played Air Force in the Olympic stadium. One of our players carried a charge and let the Olympic torch and it was quite an experience. It was funny because the Japanese people did not understand the game very well so they had people in the Air Force side our side tell people when to chair properly. -- Cheer properly. I should mention you are the author of the book called to Aztecs. That's been fun. Because I have what I consider a unique perspective having seen virtually every game since 1946 and I did not write it to sell a bunch of books but to have a history and writing and I updated second edition that just came out and print now and my total is 750 games. Your history in yourself. Thank you very much for coming in. Thank you for having me. I always love to talk about my Aztecs. And that is it for KPBS midday edition this Labor Day. Maureen Cavanaugh will be back tomorrow I am Tom Fudge thanks for joining us on midday edition.