Fresno State Athletics
Former Bulldog Remembers Time at Fresno State
11/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 3, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - Sam Iacobellis had no intention of attending college after his time as a quarterback at Edison High School. But after high school he was offered football scholarships to USC, Oregon and Fresno State. Iacobellis decided to continue his education and play football for the Bulldogs.
"If it wasn't for football I wouldn't have gone to college," Iacobellis said. "It gave me opportunity and self confidence. I learned team work and how to deal with all different groups of people. Getting the football scholarship was a good fortune."
Little would Iacobellis realize that his football scholarship would bring good fortune to the entire United States, especially the US Air Force Academy. Iacobellis is the Father of the B1 Bomber and he was honored prior to the start of Saturday's football game against Utah State when two B1 B's flew over Bulldog Stadium.
The flyover was performed by personnel with the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. They flew the two aircraft in close formation from south to north at approximately 300 mph and 1,000 feet above Bulldog Stadium.
"I have been looking forward to this day for some time now," Iacobellis said. "To be home brings back fond memories of my childhood and the opportunities I had."
Iacobellis originally signed with Fresno State as a quarterback but was eventually moved to tight end. During his four years has a football player he was always on the first string and he said he remembers scoring a touchdown against San Jose State and being named Bulldog of the Week.
To get through school Iacobellis worked, painting hurdles, officiating games, and driving trucks in the summer time. Through his time working, playing football and attending class, Iacobellis eventually found his love of engineering.
"I found I could do an assignment much faster than I could read 200 pages," he said. "That got me into science and engineering. I was really pleased with the engineer preparation I received."
A day after his graduation from Fresno State he got a job with the North American Aviation company and on October 2, 1981 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to be the program manager over building 100 B1 bombers.
"We built all 100 ahead of schedule and under budget," he said. "The Air Force has been pleased with it. I am on sound ground to tell you that the B1 was one of the important components of the cold war that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall."
Iacobellis is grateful for the opportunities he has gotten in his life. Through all his success he has never forgotten what Fresno State did for his career.
"I started as a draftsman and retired as a Deputy Chairman," Iacobellis said. "I worked with some of the most talented people you'll ever find in the country. I see Fresno State as an opportunity for kids in the Valley to get a good education."
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - Bulldog Football heads to the island to face Hawai'i on Saturday, November 10th at 8 p.m. PST. The game can be seen locally on the Bulldog Sports Network (KFRE 59) in Fresno and nationally on ESPN2. Tune in at 7:30 pm for the Bulldog Blitz pre game show on BSN. The game can also be heard on the radio on KMJ 580, the flagship station of Bulldog Football, and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes 1600. The Bulldogs return to Bulldog Stadium for their final home game of the season on Saturday, November 24 against Kansas State. For tickets, go to the ticket page at www.gobulldogs.com, call 559-278-DOGS or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
