Lyle Blackwood

Lyle Blackwood, a Churchill High School graduate, played 14 seasons in the NFL on four teams and played in two Super Bowls.  He began his post-high school career at Blinn Junior College and made the National Junior college Hall of Fame before transferring to TCU to continue his college football career.  Later at TCU, Blackwood was an All-SWC player (in 1971 and 1972) and an Honorable Mention All America pick.  In 1976, Lyle won the TCU Frog of Fame award and was inducted into the TCU Hall of Fame.  

In the NFL, Blackwood played three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, one year with the Seattle Seahawks, four seasons with the Baltimore Colts, and finished with the Miami Dolphins, where he was a member of the infamous “Killer Bs” defense.  Blackwood was a Pro Bowl selection, played in two Super Bowls 17 & 19 with Miami, and led the NFL in interceptions in 1977. 

Jerry Comalander was a High School head coach of various sports for 27 years and has been an Athletic Director for 17 years. Comalander became the head football coach at Churchill in 1975.  During his 15 years there, he compiled a 125-28-3 record.  His 1976 team went undefeated (15-0) and won the Class 4A (now 5A) State Championship.  After winning the championship, Comalander, was named the Texas Sports Writers Coach of the Year.  From 1979-1982, Comalander was the director of the Texas High School Coaches Association and served as its president from 1984-1985.  

In 1991, Comalander was inducted into the association’s Hall of Honor. Comalander was Director of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association from 1995-1997 and Vice President from 2000-2002.  The NEISD Board of Trustees named the district’s home stadium in his honor in 2000: Comalander Stadium. Currently, Comalander serves as Athletic Director for the North East School District and is a member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Josh Davis is the most accomplished swimmer in San Antonio history, winning five Olympic medals (three gold) and setting a world record in the 200 freestyle.  Davis made the Churchill swim team under Coach Al Marks and won the state championship in the 200-yard freestyle in 1988 and 1989.  He was also a member of a record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay.  At Texas, he swam for Longhorns coach Eddie Reese and won the 1993 NCAA championship in the 200-yard free race. In the 1994 NCAA championship, Davis helped establish an American record in the 400-yard free relay.

After starring at Churchill High School and the University of Texas, Davis went on to compete in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and in 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.  In Atlanta, he was the only male athlete in the Games to win three gold metals.  He captured gold in three relays—the 800 freestyle, 400 free, and the 400 medley relay.  In the summer of 2000, Josh broke Matt Biondi’s 12-year-old American record in the 200 free at the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.  Later that summer in Sydney, Davis lowered the record in the 200 to 1:46.73, but finished fourth after leading for about half the race. Later in the meet, he won silver medals in the two free relays-the 800 and the 400.

Clyde Glosson

Clyde Glosson, a Wheatley High School alumni, was one of the most outstanding sprinters in city history, winning several national titles and setting several national records in the 100- and 200- yard dashes.  Glosson sparked his amateur career by helping his high school relay team achieve a national record-holding 41.5 in the 440-yard relay in 1964.  He also set a national high school record with a 20.6 effort in the 220-yard dash.  Clyde also set a national record in the Junior Olympics with a 9.6 effort in the 100-yard dash in 1966.  In addition to participating in track, Glosson was also a star wide-receiver for the Wheatley football team and helped lead them to a PVIL state football title in 1965.

Glosson went on to play football after high school at Trinity University and the University of Texas at El Paso before being drafted into the NFL by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970.  His professional football career includes two seasons with the Buffalo Bills (1970-72) and one season with the Detroit Wheel’s in the World Football League (1974).  Overall Glosson was a member of two NCAA winning 440-yard spring relay teams; he won three 220-yard titles and two 100-yard dash titles.  He has been inducted into the Prairie View Interscholastic League Hall of Fame as well as the Border Olympics Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Clifford Johnson

Clifford Johnson, born and raised in San Antonio, was an outstanding three-sport athlete at Wheatley High School, where he graduated in 1966. Johnson made his debut in the Major Leagues in 1972.  In his 14-year Major League career Johnson played for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers. 

Before retiring in 1986, Johnson set a world record for pinch-hit home runs with 20, five of which were with the Houston Astros in 1973.  On June 30, 1977 while playing with the Yankees, Johnson blast three home runs against Toronto, including two in the eighth inning.  That year he hit 22 home runs and carried a .297 batting average. Johnson also obtained two World Series titles while playing with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  Over Johnson’s entire baseball career he had 196 home runs, 699 RBIs, and a .258 batting average.