Ekern’s College Number Retired

The San Jose State football program will retire jersey No. 58 in honor of Carl Ekern, who died in a one-car accident Aug. 1. Ekern played football for San Jose State from 1972-75 and played for the Rams from 1976-88.

The Rams will have a memorial service for Ekern at 4 p.m. today at Rams Park in Anaheim.

The retirement ceremonies will take place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Spartan Stadium before San Jose State’s season-opening game against Louisville.

It is the third Spartan jersey to be retired and the first posthumously. Running back Gerald Willhite’s 47 and linebacker Dave Chaney’s 52 also were retired.

Ekern is a member of the San Jose State football Hall of Fame and holds school records for career tackles (430) and assisted tackles (185). He earned all-Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. (now the Big West Conference) honors in 1973, ’74 and ‘75, and was named the conference’s defensive player of the year in 1975.

Ekern was drafted in the fifth round by the Rams.