Who's No. 1?

For The Advocate's Top 50 Athletes package, we sent out a list of approximately 175 names over the last 60 years of the college. After we put the names together, we sent the list out to a number of former coaches, players, fans and Advocate editors asking them to rank their own 50 best, giving reasons for why they voted Nos. 1 to 5 the way they did.

This is my list of the 50 best in Contra Costa College's history. I tried to recognize the best athletes, regardless of sport or gender, but get at least one representative from each sport some where on the list.

Because my time and knowledge of the college's athletic history is limited, many of the names on the list are from the last few years or are of players who had legendary seasons on campus.

The first five athletes, however, I believe are the greatest to play at CCC, regardless of age, era or sport because of their individual accomplishments, and contributions to their teams and communities.

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Athletes

1. Eddie Hart, track and field
Hart is the only Contra Costa alumnus to be successful at a global level, winning a gold medal as part of the U.S. 400-meter relay team in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He was a stud as a Comet and when he went on to Cal, running the 100-meter dash. And, if it wasn't for a freak scheduling mix-up, Hart could have won a second medal in Germany. Furthermore, Hart continues to give back to teh East Bay community, including speaking at a graduation ceremony at CCC in 2007.

2. Elijah "Pumpsie" Green, baseball
A member of the much celebrated Green family of El Cerrito, "Pumpsie" did the most for future athletes in West County than anyone in the history of the region, let alone the college. Green was the first African-American to play for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s, breaking the color barrier, and gave athletes like Corey Dunlap and Jordan Kendall a chance to play in the MLB.

3. Travis Williams, football
Not only did Williams play in teh 1968 Super Bowl for the Green Bay Packers, he returned four kicks for touchdowns, including one for 104 yards, and averaged 41.1 yards per return in the 1967 season. Did I mention it was his rookie year? In his five years in the NFL, he scored 18 regular season touchdowns and two in the playoffs.

4. Joe "J.D." Banks, men's basketball
For years, students and athletes alike saw "J.D." on his bench in front of teh Men's Locker Room. Banks' connection and influence on Contra Costa College athletics is one that may never be matched. The former basketball player, coach and equipment manager was a mentor to all athletes. His larger than life personality and stature made him an all-time great at CCC.

5. Benny Barnes, football
Much like Banks, Banres was a standout for the Comets before transferring, going pro and returning to help the next breed of Comet stars. Barnes played on two Rose Bowl-winning teams at Stanford and won three NFC Championships and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, Barnes is back at CCC, coaching special teams on Saturdays. And, no matter how bad the score, you can always tell Barnes by his smile.

6. Karleen Shields, women's basketball

7. Ranvir Singh, men's soccer

8. Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, men's basketball

9. Ed Greene, men's basketball

10. Marvin Webb, baseball

11. Cornell Green, football

12. Credell Green, football

13. Jim Landis, baseball

14. Mike Felder, baseball

15. Marcus Felder, baseball

16. Matt Felder, baseball

17. Darell Dickens, baseball

18. Jim Ulversoy, swimming

19. Jordan Kendall, baseball

20. Courtney Anderson, football

21. Cory Dunlap, baseball

22. Sam Brown, football

23. Leif Grunseth, wrestling

24. Jordan McCormick, women's basketball

25. Kenny Grace, football

26. David Dixon, track and field

27. Glen Cotton, football

28. Nat Davis, football

29. Shanice Boyette, women's basketball

30. Lionel Arnold, football

31. Orlando Arnold, football

32. Marqueta Green, women's basketball

33. Alisha Hernandez, women's basketball

34. Ciara Taylor, women's basketball

35. Ashonda WIlliams, women's basketball

36. Andre Wright, track and field

37. Marina Gonzalez, women's soccer

38. Carmen Williams, women's basketball

39. Diane Smith, women's basketball

40. Ray Strong, football

41. Nicole Bowman, women's basketball

42. Jill Masaro, softball

43. Babe Williams, baseball

44. Ed Kerber, golf

45. Vic Stallone, cross country

46. Rich Van Camp, tennis

47. Tommy Huen, tennis

48. Horacio Bucio, baseball

49. Barbara Williams, golf

50. Akim Williams, football

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Coaches

1. Gene Corr, baseball

2. Ed Greene, men's basketball

3. Paul DeBolt, women's basketball

4. Steve Greer, track and field

5. Rudy Zeller, men's soccer

6. Dottie Wendt, softball

7. Tom Kinnard, football

8. Leroy Mims, men's basketball

9. Lenny Chaplin, swimming

10. Marvin Webb, baseball

bAbel.