Jay Schroeder Passes on His Legacy

Former Pali High Quarterback Dedicates Golden Ball for Super Bowl’s 50th Anniversary

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Walking down the ramp from the parking lot to the football field at Stadium by the Sea brought back a flood of fond memories for Jay Schroeder.

On Nov. 13 he stepped foot on the Palisades High campus for the first time in about 35 years to present Principal Pam Magee with a commemorative “golden football” in celebration of the Super Bowl’s 50-year anniversary. In doing so he reflected on his days as varsity quarterback and the catcher on the Dolphins’ varsity baseball team.

“I’ve only been back one other time when I was at UCLA,” recalled Schroeder, a 1979 Pali High graduate. “It doesn’t look all that different except that when I went here the field was natural grass and the track was dirt.”

As Pali High Assistant Principal Russ Howard escorted him around his old stomping grounds,  including the diamond at George Robert Field, Schroeder remembered whacking balls high up into the ivy that, back in his day when there were no outfield fences, were no more than ground-rule doubles.

Now a resident of St. George, Utah, where he coaches at the local high school, Schroeder had an astute audience at the lunchtime dedication in the quad – including Pali High head football coach Tim Hyde and the varsity team, which boarded a bus several hours later for its trip to Lake Balboa to take on Birmingham in the first round of the City playoffs. Schroeder watched from the sideline as his alma mater  nearly upset the Patriots before losing 26-21.

“It was awesome having Jay on campus and at the game,” said Hyde, who has piloted Palisades to the postseason in each of his three seasons. “The kids got a kick out of seeing him and it inspired them to go out and play a great game.”

Schroeder, now 54, was on the Washington Redskins team that defeated quarterback John Elway and the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII in 1988 and that wasn’t the first time Schroeder’s team met Elway’s on the gridiron.

The future NFL signal-callers clashed in the City Section playoffs in 1977 and 1978, with Palisades losing both times. In the first, Granada Hills prevailed 28-27 in a California tiebreaker when current Pali High offensive line coach Larry Palmer was the Highlanders’ starting left tackle.

One teammate who stands out in Schroeder’s mind is left tackle Forrest Whitaker, who become an Academy Award-winning actor.

Although winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate achievement for any professional football player, Schroeder’s first taste of fame came on Friday nights at Palisades, where he set the school record for passing yards in a season with 1,257 (since broken many times).

The two-sport star won the Palisadian-Post Cup Award as the school’s outstanding senior athlete and Schroeder recalls that when he played for the Dolphins they were primarily a running team under coaches Dick North and Merritt Stanfield. “I only threw the ball 10 or 11 times a game,” he said.

Schroeder’s family moved near the Village in time for him to attend sixth-grade at Paul Revere. He played baseball at Pali High at the same time future major league all-star Darryl Strawberry was at Crenshaw. Schroeder’s mother Elaine (who attended the dedication) and his brother Mark live in Camarillo.

Schroeder’s defining moment at UCLA came in 1980 when his tipped touchdown pass to Freeman McNeil propelled the Bruins to a 20-17 victory over USC.

Also a talented baseball player, he spent time in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system before being selected by Washington in the third round of the 1984 NFL draft. He was called into action his rookie year after starting quarterback Joe Theismann broke  his leg and never played again. As a starter the next season, Schroeder led the Redskins to the NFC title game and made the Pro Bowl, throwing for a franchise-record 4,109 yards. He separated his shoulder in the first game of the 1987 season and was replaced by Doug Williams, who threw five touchdown passes in the Super Bowl against Denver.

“That was sweet,” Schroeder said. “I finally got my revenge on Elway.”

Schroeder was traded to the Raiders and led them to the AFC Championship game in 1990. He played another two seasons for the silver and black before finishing his career with one-year stints in Cincinnati and Arizona.

“If you can last as long as I did, you’re pretty fortunate,” Schroeder admits. “I enjoyed every minute of it and I have no regrets. It was wonderful to be back at Palisades.”

Jay and his wife Debbie have three children: Brian, Christopher, and Katelyn.