John Hopkins (American football)

Last updated

John Hopkins (born c. 1969) is a former college football placekicker who played for Stanford University from 1987 to 1990.

Hopkins' biggest game at Stanford was also his last: the 93rd Big Game, played on November 17, 1990. In the game, Stanford scored with twelve seconds left but still trailed Cal 25-24. Hopkins kicked an onside kick which Stanford recovered. On the next play, Cal was cited for roughing quarterback Jason Palumbis. Hopkins came in and connected on a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give Stanford a 27-25 victory. The kick also gave Hopkins the Stanford record for most field goals in a game with 5. [1] He also still holds the record for most field goals in a season, having kicked 19 of 24 field goals in the 1988 season. [2]

Related Research Articles

Big Game (American football) College football rivalry between UC Berkeley and Stanford

Big Game is the name given to the California–Stanford football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. Both institutions are located in the San Francisco Bay Area. First played in 1892, it is one of the oldest college rivalries in the United States. The game is typically played in late November or early December, and its location alternates between the two universities every year. In even-numbered years, the game is played at Berkeley, while in odd-numbered years it is played at Stanford.

"The Play" is a nickname that refers to a last-second, game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown that occurred during a college football game between the Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears on Saturday, November 20, 1982. Given the circumstances and rivalry, the wild game that preceded it, the very unusual way in which "The Play" unfolded, and its lingering aftermath on players and fans, it is recognized as one of the most memorable plays in college football history and among the most memorable in American sports.

California Golden Bears football

The California Golden Bears football program represents the University of California, Berkeley, in college football as a member of the Pac-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium and is coached by Justin Wilcox. Since beginning of play in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 and 14 conference championships, the last one in 2006. It has also produced what are considered to be two of the oddest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels' fumble recovery at the 1929 Rose Bowl and The Play kickoff return in the 1982 Big Game.

2007 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford.

Jason Palumbis is a former American football quarterback.

The 2007 Stanford vs. USC football game was an NCAA college football game held on October 6, 2007, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. In a remarkable upset, the visiting Stanford Cardinal won 24–23 despite USC having been favored by 41 points entering the game. This result was the biggest point spread upset of all time in college football. USC entered the game with a 35-game home game winning streak which included a 24-game home game winning streak in Pac-10 play. By contrast, Stanford had compiled a Pac-10 worst 1–11 season in 2006, which included a 42–0 loss to USC. To compound the situation, Stanford's starting quarterback T. C. Ostrander had suffered a seizure the week before and his replacement, backup quarterback Tavita Pritchard, had never started a game and had thrown just three passes in official play.

The 1926 college football season was the first in which an attempt was made to recognize a national champion after the season.

2008 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford.

1993 Arizona Wildcats football team American college football season

The 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 161 points. Led by head coach Dick Tomey in his seventh season at Arizona, the Wildcats compiled a 10–2 record, tied for first with UCLA and USC for the Pac-10 title, and defeated Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the first time since 1973 that Arizona won at least a share of a conference championship and the first as a Pac-10 member.

The 1972 Rose Bowl was the 58th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The Stanford Indians of the Pacific-8 Conference upset the undefeated and fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference by a point, 13–12, repeating as Rose Bowl champions. The Player of the Game was Stanford quarterback Don Bunce.

2009 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2009 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition during the 2009 season. The Golden Bears were led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.

2009 Stanford Cardinal football team American college football season

The 2009 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal was led by third-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and played their home games at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California.

2010 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2010 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) competition in the 2010 season. The Golden Bears were led by ninth-year head coach Jeff Tedford.

2011 Colorado Buffaloes football team American college football season

The 2011 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach and alumnus Jon Embree, the Buffaloes played their home games on-campus at Folsom Field in Boulder and were first-year members of the newly expanded Pac-12 Conference. They finished with a record of 3–10, 2–7 in Pac-12 play, in a tie for last place in the South Division.

2012 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2012 California Golden Bears football team represented University of California, Berkeley in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Bears were led by eleventh-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium after having played at home the previous season at AT&T Park due to reconstruction on Memorial Stadium. They were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.

The 2013 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal were led by third-year head coach David Shaw. They played their home games at Stanford Stadium and were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.

2013 California Golden Bears football team American college football season

The 2013 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was Cal's first year of being led by the head coach Sonny Dykes. Cal's athletic director Sandy Barbour stated that it was his emphasis on offense that was the primary factor in the decision. Dykes was hired from Louisiana Tech, and was known for his reliance on the pass heavy and high scoring Air Raid offense, that utilized a shotgun formation with four wide receivers. Cal finished this season with a 1–11 record, with Dykes becoming the first head coach since the University began playing football in 1886 to fail to defeat a single D-1 opponent in a season that has lasted at least five games. Bears lost to Stanford by 50 points, the largest margin ever in the 119-year history of the Big Game. During the season, the team was featured on The Drive, a weekly documentary series on the Pac-12 Network.

The 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes, led by 17th year head coach Kirk Ferentz, were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium. Despite modest expectations entering the season, the team finished 12–2 overall and 8–0 in Big Ten play to win the West Division. After losing a classic to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Hawkeyes were invited to the 2016 Rose Bowl where they were beaten by Stanford. The team established a new single-season school record for wins.

Zane Gonzalez is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State University and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Gonzalez holds the NCAA Division I record for field goals made in a career. He was a unanimous All-American in 2016. He was awarded the Lou Groza Award in 2016.

The history of California Golden Bears football began in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 and 14 conference championships, the last one in 2006.

References

  1. Peters, Keith (November 19, 1997). "Big Game Flashback". Palo Alto Weekly. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  2. "Stanford Football Kicking Records". Stanford Football Media Guide. Stanford University. Retrieved November 15, 2016.