Many folks know Pat Verutti from his years behind the counter at the Felton branch of the Veruttis’ liquor stores. What many fail to recognize is the athletic prowess he brought to the playing field for San Lorenzo Valley High School in the early 1960s.
Verutti was a three-sport athlete for the Cougars from 1963 to 1966, lettering in football, basketball and track.
On the football field, he carried the ball 105 times for 839 yards while averaging 7.95 yards per carry and scoring seven touchdowns, playing under coach Wayne Richards.
For fifteen years, he was the second-leading rusher in school history, and he remains at No. 9 on the list. His yards-per-carry total is second best in school history, behind Ken Wright, who averaged 10.86 yards per carry in 1960.
Then, in track, Verutti’s 100-yard dash record of 10.10 seconds stood at SLV for 18 years. Verutti’s time translates to 11.05 seconds in the 100-meter dash. It was broken by Cougar speedster Jeff Thorbs in 1983, when he ran 10.83 in the 100-meter dash.
Verutti went on a full scholarship to play tailback for the University of Oregon, where he started for the Ducks football team.
He and his wife, Eileen, have been longtime supporters of SLV athletics. He is a lifetime member of the Boosters, as well as a three-time past president. We chatted recently at the Felton store.
Nathan Beck: Your 100-yard dash time stood for 18 years at SLV. As a close follower of Cougar sports, what were your thoughts when it was broken?
Pat Verutti: I am always so happy to see those old records get broken — that’s what they are there for. It is the same as with my football records, just fun to watch kids progress. That always makes me smile.
NB: At Oregon University, what was your major?
PV: History, actually, with a teaching credential that brought us (pointing to his wife Eileen) together. After graduation, I went to Australia for two years to teach, and that is where we met.
NB: Has the economy downturn hit the store hard?
PV: Not as bad as it is capable of. This year, we are stepping down, Eileen and I, and turning the business over to our kids (Christine, Steve and Jack Verutti). There is never a good time to retire, but they are more than ready, and the transition should be relatively smooth.
NB: Did you know Ken Wright? He is currently the only running back on the top-10 list with a better yards-per-carry average.
PV: Coach Richards brought in Kenny Wright to help us get ready for the championship game against King City. He was in college at the time, and coach put him in at tailback to help us prepare. Really, the only time he and I met was when he was running us over on the practice field.
NB: What was playing for coach Richards like?
PV: He was really a pioneer in football. He had bought in to the West Coast offense at a time when nobody was really throwing that much. We did really well with a heavy passing game, where others were still running the single wing or wing-t offenses. It was a great time; we were playing in the championship game for the first time, and the community was so excited. They bought us all new uniforms and really rallied behind us.
Sports reporter Nathan Beck profiles accomplished athletes from the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley. Know someone he should talk to? E-mail him at na****@pr*********.com.
