Jesse Freitas Sr.
Freitas Sr., c. 1942 | |||||||||
| No. 62, 60, 87 | |||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | February 7, 1921 Red Bluff, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | May 18, 2020 (aged 99) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Red Bluff | ||||||||
| College | Santa Clara | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1944: 7th round, 63 (By the Chicago-Pittsburgh Cardinals-Steelers)th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
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Coaching | |||||||||
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Jesse Freitas (February 7, 1921 – May 18, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Rockets and Buffalo Bills His son, Jesse Jr., was also a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL).
After his playing career ended, Freitas became a coach. In 1950, he was hired as the head football coach at Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. Freitas was appointed head football coach at the College of San Mateo in 1955, succeeding Duane Whitehead. He was also the head baseball coach at San Mateo before he was fired in March 1958. Freitas returned to Junípero Serra as head football coach in 1960. After two seasons, he left Serra in 1962 to become an assistant football coach at Sunnyvale High School in Sunnyvale, California. He went back to Serra for a third stint as head football coach in 1965, continuing through the 1974 season. He compiled an overall record of 107–46–3 in 17 seasons at Serra.
Freitas died of cancer, at age 99, on May 18, 2020, in San Diego.