Chris von Saltza had just struck gold in swimming in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and the high school was still celebrating the success of 1958 football hero Hugh Campbell, then playing on scholarship at Washington State University.

So no one really noticed the tall sophomore from Atascadero—at least until they saw him run. Then he immediately caught the eye of both football coach Larry Matthews and track coach Fred Niemann.

And it didn't take long for others to notice the talents of the big kid who could run like the wind. In fact, by the time he had finished his senior year in the spring of 1963, he had attracted plenty of attention indeed.

Fairband was a sensational football player and track athlete in his three years at Los Gatos. He was a good enough football player, in fact, to earn a scholarship to the University of Colorado, and he was good enough to play for the Oakland Raiders.

For his outstanding accomplishments as a Wildcat, Bill Fairband will be among the first 14 athletes recognized with induction into the newly created Athletic Hall of Fame at the high school during ceremonies to be held May 1 at the La Rinconada Country Club.

Fairband got his start in athletics at Atascadero High School where he played football and baseball and ran track. It was there where he determined his athletic future.

"I remember the first time anyone threw me a curve ball," he said. "As I was dusting myself off, I thought it might be best to find another sport."

He had played freshman football at the high school, and went out for the junior varsity squad when he arrived at Los Gatos. Track was just a sport he added on.

"I loved football," he said. "My whole motivation in track was just to learn how to run properly."

Did he ever. By his senior year, he had run a 9.8 100-yard dash (which when converted to meters is 10.7 and still ranks second on the all-time list at Los Gatos) and 21.6 in the 200 meters (fourth on the all-time list).

"Fred knew how to coach track," said Fairband of his high school coach, Fred Niemann. "I never dreamed that I would run that fast."

But as good as he was in track, his future was in football. And he starred on the Los Gatos varsity as a junior and senior, showing his versatility on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

"It seems like I played so many different positions, we could never quite put it together," he said.

But the Wildcats did put it together his senior year. Fairband played slotback and split end on offense, and doubled as a defensive end and linebacker on defense was the Cats won the West Valley Athletic League championship.

"We really had a good team," he said. "We didn't have a lot of depth, and we didn't have any superstars—we just had a lot of guys who played well as a team."

No superstars? The University of Colorado might not agree. The Buffaloes offered him a football scholarship and never regretted the decision.

Just as he had at Los Gatos, Fairband starred at Colorado. As a senior, he was the Most Valuable Player for the Buffaloes, earning a spot on the all-conference team and All-American honorable mention credit. He played in four postseason games after his senior year—the Senior Bowl, the All-American game in Atlanta, the North-South game in Miami and the All-Star game in Chicago against the Green Bay Packers coached by Vince Lombardi.

He was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders, but chronic knee problems—he underwent three knee surgeries—plagued him throughout his professional career and he retired after four seasons.

But Fairband has more than just football going for him. He earned his business degree at Colorado and settled near Boulder to become successful in the real estate business. He still lives there with his wife of 31 years, Jacque, their 24-year-old daughter Brieanna and their 21-year-old twin sons John and Andrew.

What's more, the former Wildcat star believes he got more out of the game than just a bad knee.

"I enjoyed the game," he said. "In that environment [at Los Gatos], I learned that if you worked hard in practice, it paid off on the field. You can take that lesson with you the rest of your life."

Los Gatos High School Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will on May 1 at the La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos. Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner are priced at $75. For ticket information, call the Los Gatos Athletic Association at 408.395.2002.