Gerald Circo

Gerald Circo was an exceptional athlete during his time at Antioch High School, where he earned varsity letters in swimming, football, basketball, and baseball. After graduating in 1962, he and his identical twin brother Jerome were recruited by Chico State University to play football. As a freshman at Chico State, as a self-proclaimed “gym-rat”, Gerald played freshman football, basketball, and baseball.

During his next three years on the varsity football team, he started at quarterback or defensive back and served as the punter and placekicker. He also lettered in track and field, achieving fifth place in the javelin throw in the Far Western Conference.

In 1965, he became the first punter/kicker to be selected for the first team All Far Western Conference, with an impressive average of 46.2 yards on 57 punts. Notably, he kicked a 73-yard punt against Humboldt State, the longest of the year in the FWC, and scored the league’s best game-winning 49-yard field goal against Oregon Tech. His exceptional performance against Humboldt State saw him punt 10 times for an average of 50.6 yards per punt.

In the 1965 NFL Draft, Gerald was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 20th round, becoming one of only four punter/kickers taken in the draft that year. Despite working out for the Eagles, Rams, Cardinals, and Packer teams, he did not secure a spot on any roster. However, he went on to kick professionally for the Sacramento Buccaneers in the Continental League from 1968 to 1970.

Gerald has been inducted into three athletic halls of fame, including Chico State (1995), Northern California Old Timers (2005), and the City of Chico (2018).  Gerald and his wife Jill currently reside in Chico, California.

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