STOCKTON — One week after his 83rd birthday, former Pacific football coach Chester Caddas sat on a brick bench outside the campus’s Vereschagin Alumni House sporting an orange Pacific shirt and enjoying the view of his many players who’d gathered Saturday to celebrate him.
He’d spent hours reconnecting with roughly 60 men of the gridiron who played under him from 1972-79 at the now non-existent Amos Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium for seven seasons. When asked how he got so many good athletes to play in Stockton, Caddas revealed a sense of humor he’s never lost.
“I lied,” said Caddas, immediately causing former player and event organizer Dick McClure to burst out laughing.